Mental Health Disparities: Multicultural & Global Perspectives

COU AC600 - Mental Health Disparities: Multicultural & Global Perspectives

Credits: 2

The United States is rapidly becoming more multiracial, multiethnic and multilingual and the world increasingly globalized. Consequently, there is a growing need for mental health providers to be knowledgeable about mental health disparities among historically marginalized groups both within and outside of the United States. This course will introduce students to mental health disparities, defined as differences in the overall rates of risk, incidence, prevalence and course of psychiatric disorders. These disparities are frequently determined by complex intersections of multiple statuses/identities such as gender, ethnicity, race socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, physical disability and immigrant status. The course will explore inequities in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders both within and outside of the United States. Biological and non-biological determinants of mental health will be addressed, and a range of social, political, economic, cultural and legal issues related to mental health disparities will be covered.