"Disparities Seen in Mental Care for Minorities," blares a front-page New York Times headline today. Readers who see the headline, or the lead sentence referring to "large and troubling disparities," might understandably imagine hordes of ferociously bigoted psychiatrists and psychologists standing between blacks, Hispanics, Asian-Americans and American Indians and adequate mental health treatment.
Not exactly. The article reports, "While the rates of mental illness in Asian-Americans do not differ significantly from those found in other groups, mental health professionals may hold the stereotype that they are 'mentally healthier,' a bias that contributes to inadequate treatment and prevention."
Smartertimes.com is prepared to believe that this "bias" is indeed false and pernicious. But how, then, to square it with the statement later in the Times article claiming that the U.S. surgeon general and "other experts" said that "little was known about the prevalence of mental disorders in many smaller racial and ethnic groups, including Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, American Indians and Alaska Natives."
If indeed "little" is known about "the prevalence of mental disorders" in Asian-Americans, how can the Times state so confidently that "the rates of mental illness in Asian-Americans do not differ significantly from those found in other groups"? And how can the Times be so certain that the belief that Asian-Americans are "mentally healthier" is a stereotype that is false?
Note: Smartertimes.com is in Florida today and is operating off the national edition of the New York Times.