Recent data shows that, while the United States is still predominantly white (60 percent), just over 40 percent of our population consists of individuals who identify with other racial and ethnic groups; specifically, 18 percent reported being Hispanic, 13 percent reported being African American, 5 percent reported being Asian, 1 percent reported being American Indian and Alaska Native and <1 percent reported being two or more races (United States Census Bureau). This differs greatly from the approximately 24 percent of the population who identified with a racial and/or ethnic group other than white nearly 30 years ago (CensusScope). In addition to the growth in racial and ethnic diversity, the LGBT population in the United States is also rising. As of 2012, around 3.5 percent of people (8.3 million) identified as LGBT, and by 2016 this number increased to 4.1 percent (10.1 million) (Brown, 2017). Although these are only two examples of diversity, they provide a glance into how extensively individuals in the US differ from one another. Due to these differences, it is important for care providers, especially mental healthcare providers, to offer services that take diversity into account. This is a concept known as cultural competence. To be culturally competent means to recognize and be sensitive towards other cultural groups and be able to work effectively with individuals in those groups (Sue, 1998). Cultural competence is important in healthcare settings because individuals from diverse populations face more barriers to care than those from less diverse populations, and these barriers (e.g., stigma, poor care quality) often result in nonadherence, misdiagnosis and prolonged recovery (National Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI]). Fortunately, working with a professional who is culturally competent can significantly improve outcomes (NAMI). Therefore, the many cultural competent approaches, the increasing rate that the US population is diversifying, coupled with the positive effects culturally competent healthcare has for individuals from diverse populations, make upholding guidelines regarding accommodating diversity important for providers.
References
Brown, A. (2017). 5 key findings about LGBT Americans. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/13/5-key-findings-about-lgbt-americans/opens in new window
CensusScope. (n.d.). United States: Population by race. Retrieved from https://www.censusscope.org/us/chart_race.htmlopens in new window
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Diverse communities. Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Diverse-Communitiesopens in new window
Sue, S. (1998). In search of cultural competence in psychotherapy and counseling. American Psychologist, 53, 440-448.
United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Quick Facts. Washington, DC: US Department of Commerce. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/IPE120217opens in new window