Abstract
Black Americans, in contrast to White Americans, use the mental health system in different ways. For example, Blacks tend to terminate treatment earlier than Whites. One explanation for the racial differences is that members of the two groups hold different views about mental health problems and their treatment. To test this explanation, subjects read and responded to questions about vignettes describing individuals encountering personal difficulties that ranged from adjustment challenges to severe psychiatric illness. Black American respondents rated spiritual factors as more important in the etiology and treatment of the difficulties than did Whites. The implications of these findings for theory and practice are discussed.
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Peter E. Millet, Ph.D., is affiliated with the Dept. of Psychology, Connecticut College, New London, CT. Bryce F. Sullivan, M.A., and Andrew I. Schwebel, Ph.D., are affiliated with the Dept. of Psychology, The Ohio State University. Linda J. Myers, Ph.D., is affiliated with the Dept. of Black Studies, The Ohio State University.
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Millet, P.E., Sullivan, B.F., Schwebel, A.I. et al. Black Americans' and White Americans' views of the etiology and treatment of mental health problems. Community Ment Health J 32, 235–242 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02249425
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02249425