ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION The population is becoming more diverse and the number of ethnic elderly persons is growing dramatically. It has been essential that primary care and mental health providers are aware of how cultural and ethnic issues relate to the mental health of these patients. The global population of elders is expected to double from 500 million in 1990 to one billion in 2025 (1). With this expansion, the number of ethnic minority elderly will also increase, shifting the demographic of countries like the United States at marked rates. It is predicted that non-Caucasian individuals will account for 20% of the U.S. elderly by the year 2050 (2), with those older than 85 years becoming the fastest growing segment of the population as a whole (3). As these numbers have increased, we have realized that there is a paucity of knowledge about how these significant populations are impacted by mental health issues, such as mood disorders and suicide. Ethnic minority elders who are new to the country, having spent most of their productive years elsewhere, are at greater risk for depression when they move into communities without peers or ethnic community supports, such as churches. Issues such as minority status, discrimination, and socioeconomic status may be additional risk factors for depression and other psychiatric problems. The goal of this chapter is to examine how affective change is viewed by patients and physicians from different cultures, how suicide is viewed by different cultures, and the attitudes toward Western medicine and talk therapy that may be encountered in members of ethnic minorities.
