Thursday, 5/29/97 Minorities gaining access to psychological
services MEDICINE: Despite biases in insurance, possible stigma of
treatment, groups’ use on rise
By Caroline M. Bontia Daily Bruin Contributor Resource is often
defined as a place to turn to when your own abilities, talents and
internal reserves have been exhausted and you need help answering
questions. Yet obtaining resources in the form of psychological
services often carries unique emotional baggage – especially for
minorities. However, a growing number of minorities at the UCLA
campus are taking a greater advantage of psychological facilities
dealing with intermediate and intake counseling, services which
refer patients to the correct department for treatment. In a recent
report compiled by the Student Psychological Service (SPS), African
Americans and Chicanos/Latinos have taken greater initiative in
seeking psychological help. In 1995-1996, a total of 2,300 students
received direct Student Psychological Services. Chicanos/Latinos
comprised 16.3 percent of the services; African Americans 7.3
percent; Asian Americans 19.3 percent; and white Americans 49
percent. These statistics however, do not include students who have
benefited by the numerous workshops and outreach programs that can
be added to double the total figures. "Generally we are well
utilized by the African American population and by the
Chicano/Mexican/Latino populations. We are overrepresented by (the)
Caucasian American population and underutilized by Asian Americans
and we have grappled with that," said Student Psychological
Services Director Harold Pruett. These same statistics however, do
not apply outside of UCLA. Adolescents and children constitute the
largest group of uninsured Americans today, particularly African
Americans and Latinos, according to the American Psychological
Association. Indeed, cultural expectations and financial
circumstances still play a dominant role when seeking psychological
help. Stereotypes and societal pressures make it difficult for many
to admit that they should get help, said David Feinberg, director
of Managed and Outpatient Services at the Neuropsychiatric
Institute and Hospital. For example, a study found that there are
certain barriers to treatment for African American women who suffer
from addiction. They often cite being unable to seek care due to
responsibilities at home as a mother, wife and partner, lack of
money, insurance and fear of losing their children. "There is a
large stigma with going to get psychological health services. And
there is a large stigma with ‘access’ in itself," Feinberg said.
Factors associated with this stigma include the low consumer demand
for psychological care; the lack of knowledge about psychiatric
illness and treatment; and cases when private insurance companies
discriminate against mental illness and substance abuse in
comparison to general medical care. On the other hand, financial
barriers add to the growing lack of health insurance and access to
psychological services. Fortunately, free counseling services on
campus, like SPS, have worked to provide a supportive and
culturally sensitive environment. Part of this commitment is giving
students the freedom to choose whom they would like to receive
counseling from. With a diverse staff of 21 employees, the service
is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Ultimately
however, the responsibility of getting access to services rests
with the individual. "We are accessible to students. But whether
they want to access us is a different story," remarked associate
director William D. Parham. And although students may feel hesitant
in receiving help, Parham firmly believes that individuals should
not feel afraid. "I would respect their hesitancy, but I certainly
would ask them to push themselves a little bit more in finding out
what is getting in the way," he suggested. "Furthermore, if they
are sensitive about this particular resource, they can go to other
resources, identify their comfort level and how they will get
access," he added. In fact, there are other resources available,
such as the Women’s Resource Center, which is both gender-oriented
and utilized by many cultural groups. The Women’s Resource Center
primarily deals with intermediate counseling, referrals in helping
students identify issues and directing them to appropriate
services. Additionally, the resource is not only limited to women.
"I think with the kind of services we provide that there is this
misconception that we are only for women. But the fact is that we
also help a lot of men. More often than not, they have female
friends they care about and want help in providing them support,"
director Kathy Rose-Mockry said. Moreover, the center attracts many
underrepresented immigrant students with low incomes, such as
members of the Academic Advancement Program (AAP); the Campus
Retention Program; Education Abroad Program and international
students visiting UCLA. "The Women’s Center, by virtue of what we
stand for, lets women know that we are concerned about their needs
… I think traditionally what we’ve stood for is to provide
support, and so we can bridge the gap for students," Rose-Mockry
said. Regardless of how severe students feel their problems are,
getting free counseling is comparable to nothing outside the UCLA
community. Added Rose-Mockry, "Psychological support and assistance
is valuable because being a student is being a whole person. It’s
not just about academics. It’s important that people have the
opportunity to really get the most out of their education and not
to be set back by things out of their control."