ABSTRACT
Humans are ethnically, racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse. The current mental health system, however, has been normed on Western or European populations (also referred to as White) with little consideration of this diversity and how it may influence the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric disorders. This is true with regard to substance use disorders (SUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well. A culturally encapsulated approach significantly limits the field’s ability to fully understand the etiology of mental health disorders and to develop the most appropriate and effective interventions for various ethnic groups (Wrenn, 1985).
