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MHHD Director's Corner
New Fiscal Year: Transition, Thanks, and Coping
Here at the Office of MHHD, as well as all state agencies, we are transitioning into a new fiscal year. Transition is defined as the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another. Transition can be seamless. Other times, transition is accompanied by
imperception,
delays, uncertainty, and stress.
Our flagship program, MOTA, is a competitive grant funded program and subject to meeting performance measures. Each application year, new applicants are invited to apply. For those leaving us, and herein referred to as our MOTA alumni, MHHD says"A million thanks! Your work in addressing disparities and advancing health equity in your minority community has been, and will continue to be, highly appreciated. Wishing you success in your future endeavors."
To continuing and new organizations, we welcome you on our fiscal year 2019 journey. Our mission is your mission. Our vision is your vision. Our performance is an expression of your cumulative performance. Let us cope and embrace transition. Let us remind ourselves that this is a new opportunity to make a difference in health disparities and health equity. Let us resolve that fiscal year 2019 will be the best year yet. Remember, support will be available all the way to the finish line
MHHD Director, Noel Brathwaite, PhD, MSPH
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July is Minority Mental Health Month
Written by: M. Alex Bowen, MHHD Summer Intern
With physical health often maintaining a forefront in conversation, it is important to not leave one's mental health secondary. Here at MHHD, we would like to bring awareness to the disparities in minority mental health, to the importance of mental health education, and to resources offering support.
Minority mental health is important because it plays a large role in the outcome of one's life. Mental health is our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, which often impacts ones decision making, social interactions, and coping strategies. Those that suffer from poor mental health can also see a decline in physical health, ultimately leading to shorter life spans and higher rates of suicide.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
- Over 70 percent of Black or African American adolescents with a major depressive episode did not receive treatment for their condition
- Almost 25 percent of adolescents with a major depressive episode in the last year were Hispanic/Latino
- Asian American adults were less likely to use mental health services than any other racial/ethnic groups
- In the past year, nearly one in 10 American Indian or Alaska Native young adults had serious thoughts of suicide
- In the past year, one in seven Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults had a diagnosable mental illness
While health equity is increasing in some health areas, we still know, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), that racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. are less likely to have access to mental health services, less likely to use community mental health services, more likely to use Emergency departments, and more likely to receive lower quality care.
One can help bring awareness to mental health by creating conversation and addressing the need. We encourage individuals, families, and communities to be involved in promoting support of treatment for mental illness. Education and discussion are key factors in breaking the negative stigma of mental health and increasing the number of those who seek treatment.
Although promotion from within communities can play a major role in increasing mental health awareness, we still need to address accessible treatment. An easy way to manage mental health is to incorporate healthy practices in one's daily life. According to the
MentalHealth.gov, some tips for incorporating self-care include: connecting with others, staying positive, getting physically active, helping others, getting enough sleep, and developing coping skills.
While self-help may be beneficial, it is still important to seek professional treatment. Listed below are some accessible options of organizations throughout the state of Maryland that work with minority groups to address mental health:
It is important to recognize that mental illness is both preventable and treatable. During this month of July, we aim to bring awareness to mental health in order to reach optimal health in minority communities.
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Article Series:
MHHD Priority Focus Areas
Beginning in June, we began a series of articles highlighting MHHD's Priority Focus Areas. Articles in this series will include focus area background, current data, and information detailing MHHD's activities to help eliminate health disparities in these areas. In June we highlighted
infant mortality, ant this month we are highlighting
prediabetes. Stay tuned nex
t month when we highlight asthma.
July MHHD Priority Focus Area: Prediabetes
Article by: Olubukola Alonge, MD, MPH
Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities
Maryland Department of Health
What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is the term used for individuals whose glucose levels do not meet the criteria for diabetes but are too high to be considered normal. Prediabetes puts individuals at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
How is prediabetes diagnosed?
Diagnosis of prediabetes is done by a health care provider by taking a blood sample and sending to the laboratory to test for fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour plasma glucose on oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and/or hemoglobin A1C.
Read Dr. Alonge's full article including information on how the Maryland Department of Health and Office of MHHD are addressing prediabetes.
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