Executive Summary Contents
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Organization of Supplement and Major Topics Covered
The first chapter reviews the core messages of the original
Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health. It also
covers scope and terminology, the overall public health
approach, and the science base for this Supplement.
Chapter 2 lays the foundations for understanding the
relationships among culture, society, mental health,
mental illness, and mental health services. Chapters 3-6
provide information about each of the four major racial
and ethnic minority groups, and Chapter 7 concludes
with promising courses of action to reduce disparities
and improve the mental health of racial and ethnic
minorities.
Each chapter concerning a racial or ethnic minority
group follows a common format. The chapter begins
with the group's history in the United States, which is
central to understanding contemporary ethnic identities,
adaptive traditions, and health. Similarly, each chapter
describes the group's demographic patterns, including
their family structure, income and education, and health
status. These patterns reflect the group's history, and
they are relevant for understanding that group's needs
for mental health services. The chapter then reviews the
available scientific evidence regarding the need for mental
health services (as measured by prevalence), the
availability, accessibility, and utilization of services, and
the appropriateness and outcomes of mental health services.
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