Discrimination In Healthcare

Discrimination has been a major social issue for as long as time, with the changing landscape of race and ethnicity in the U.S. manifesting discrimination in different ways over time. In an incredibly diverse society racial discrimination is prevalent and has greater damages and implications than many imagine. Racism is defined as a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices used to justify the superior treatment of one racial or ethnic group and the inferior treatment of another racial or ethnic group. Racism is always accompanied by prejudice, a negative attitude based on faulty generalizations about members of selected racial and ethnic groups (p. 53). Racism and prejudice are the ideological basis for discrimination. Discrimination is more
It seems that because minority groups are overrepresented amongst those in poverty that these issues could be explained by the poorer health and mental health issues that are more prevalent among those in poverty. However, discrimination effects healthcare in wealthier minority groups such as Asian Indian Americans. Nearly one in ten Asian Indian Americans reports having perceived discrimination when seeking or receiving healthcare. While this percentage is low in comparison with other minority groups, the high income levels of those surveyed demonstrate that it is more than a socioeconomic issue (Misra, p.6). Discrimination leads to poor mental health outcomes and higher rates of anxiety and depression among those that report being discriminated against. In a study on the economic impact of these poor mental health outcomes, Elias says, “the economic consequences experiences of racial discrimination extend beyond the immediate targets to those witnessing discrimination”(p.1) The effects of discrimination on health are real and costly to individuals and society as a
College campuses have encouraged this through service-learning, which puts students in communities to serve in different areas and subsequently learn from that service. A study at St. Mary’s College found that twenty-nine of thirty students engaged in service-learning felt that they were more aware of racial inequality and their own prejudice (Reed-Bouley, p.2). Engaging those facing discrimination and making space for discussion void of hateful rhetoric are important ways of addressing discrimination that are becoming more and more