Final answer:
The true statement is that minority individuals tend to underutilize mental health services. Contributing factors include cultural mistrust, discrimination, socioeconomic barriers, and healthcare inequities. Efforts to improve mental health services for minorities must address these systemic and individual barriers. The correct option is 1) Overall, minority persons underutilize mental health services.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that is true regarding the use of mental health services by minority individuals is that overall, minority persons underutilize mental health services. Numerous studies, including those by Snowden and Thomas & Snowden, have reported that racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States are less likely to access mental health services compared to their non-minority counterparts. There are several factors contributing to this underutilization, including cultural mistrust of mental health professionals, discrimination, the role of racial identity, barriers like socioeconomic status, and a long history of healthcare inequities. Improving access and utilization of mental health services amongst minority populations requires addressing these systemic and individual barriers.
Raising awareness and education about mental health, building culturally competent services, and establishing trust through community engagement are just some of the approaches to combat this disparity. Studies have shown that even when minority persons seek treatment, their mental and physical health quality remains significantly worse than that of the general public, which indicates that there is a pressing need to tailor healthcare practices to better serve minority groups. Creating a healthcare system that acknowledges and works to overcome these barriers is essential in achieving equity in mental healthcare services for all individuals. The correct option is 1) Overall, minority persons underutilize mental health services.