Addressing how cultural barriers to mental healthcare use can be overcome, Dr. Kim noted that \u201cin practice, we need to have a two-pronged approach to address disparities in mental health for minority groups.\u201d In many cases, we have seen victim blaming where their cultures and lack of knowledge of the patients are discussed as the major barriers to mental health services. Health literacy, which refers to the ability to obtain basic information about medical conditions and utilize it to seek the necessary care, may also contribute to disparities in mental healthcare access. Stereotypes such as the model minority myth, often ascribed to Asian Americans, can adversely impact whether or not individuals access mental healthcare. \u201cMany participants gave examples of how their values, philosophies, or spirituality were dismissed in the assessment stage of accessing mental healthcare, resulting in them being told they don\u2019t need or qualify for treatment.<\/p>\n
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Patients and providers uniformly report high levels of satisfaction with videoconferencing, and there is good evidence for the clinical equivalency of psychiatric and psychological treatments delivered via videoconferencing, compared with face-to-face delivery (78). It involves an offsite team of mental health specialists collaborating with onsite PCPs from a centralized location, using telephones, videoconferencing, and electronic health records. The potential role of technology to reach unmet mental health needs is increasingly recognized by patients, practitioners, and researchers. For instance, MHFA is an early intervention training program to raise awareness of mental issues, mitigate stigma, and promote appropriate treatment seeking. This reinforces the interplay among mental health, interpersonal relationships, and social determinants of health and promotes mental health and social equity (43). Even in high-income countries, the shortage of mental health specialists demands a task-sharing approach.<\/p>\n