Abstract

This research aims to investigate and explore the impacts of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) on mental health treatment, within communities. The primary purpose was to examine and explore how beliefs and traditions influence mental health and the utilization of health services. This study used the Bronfenbrenner theory of 1979 [1] which comprises the Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, and Chronosystems and its components as a lens of data analysis to examine the impact of the scrutiny of DEI on mental health treatment. This study used a “Non-Experimental Descriptive Statistics” “Quantitative Methodology” to analyze current Secondary Data obtained from CDC, MAMI, NCHS, and NIH to investigate and explore the correlations/relationships between Inclusive and Non-Inclusive depression effects in the participants’ age groups, sex, and races. The study found that many of the participants experienced some feelings of depression. On average, younger participants reported more experiences of the sentiments of depression than older participants. Additionally, male participants reported more experiences of feelings of depression than female participants. Finally, other and multiple races, non-Hispanic Inclusive 13 out of 58 or 22.4%, and other and multiple races, non-Hispanic Non-Inclusive 8 out of 58 or 0.14% reported more experiencing feelings of depression than other races. The importance of this research study’s results and findings needs to be investigated further by public health and public policy decision-makers, which should bring some positive social changes to encourage inclusion when treating patients with mental health needs.

Keywords:Diversity; Equity; Inclusion; Non-Inclusive; Inclusive; Non-Inclusive; Ages; Sex; Race Origin; Experiences; Feelings; Depression; Discriminations