Focusing on Minority Mental Health: Arab Americans

Arab Americans (AA) are a distinctive group, with a population of more than 3.7 million (Arab American Institute, 2024). They are an ethnic group from diverse areas of the Middle East, North Africa, Saharan Africa, Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and Morocco (Arab American Institute, 2024). This ethnic group shares an abundant family history, and has migrated to the United States of America in large numbers since the late 1800s (AAI, 2024). There are several barriers to this ethnic group receiving behavioral and primary healthcare treatment and resources. According to Salloub, Gomes, & Office of Behavioral Health Equity (2024), AA had higher rates of depression and anxiety as a result of assimilating to a different culture, lack of income, and the inability to receive healthcare insurance. Additional barriers that this group have encountered are discrimination, a stigma about mental health treatment, lack of adequate support systems, and linguistic barriers (Salloub, Gomes, & Office of Behavioral Health Equity as cited in SAMHSA, 2024). During the COVID-19 pandemic,? AA were counted as Caucasian Americans in the United States Census, which resulted in this group being underrepresented in healthcare and behavioral health practices ( Ramirez as cited in USA Today, 2021). With use of support groups and advocacy, AA have been introduced to modernized and culturally appropriate treatment methods, support and services, and access to healthcare.

References

Arab American Institute. (2024). National arab american demographics. Retrieved on August 1, 2024 from https://www.aaiusa.org/demographics?utm_source=SAMHSA&utm_campaign=d16f7a35f4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_07_09_02_35_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-2791b89650-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

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Ramirez, M. (2021). Arab americans, deemed 'white' in government records, suffer an unseen COVID-19 crisis. Retrieved on August 1, 2024 from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/28/covid-19-cases-arab-americans-hit-hard-but-not-counted-data/4498387001/

Salloub, N. & Gomes, A., & Office of Behavioral Equity (2024). Celebrating minority mental health month: Focusing on arab american mental health. Retrieved on August 1, 2024 from https://www.samhsa.gov/blog/celebrating-minority-mental-health-month-focusing-arab-american-mental-health?utm_source=SAMHSA&utm_campaign=d16f7a35f4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_07_09_02_35_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-2791b89650-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D?