In 2001, the Surgeon General of the United States presented a report on the mental health status of racial/ethnic minorities.

The report summarized several key findings: the mental health needs of people of color continue to be unmet, there is a strong need to understand both cultural and sociopolitical factors affecting the life experience of these groups, and cultural competence in the delivery of services is absolutely essential to the psychological and physical well-being of persons of color.

Individual and institutional racism continue to affect the quality of life for people of color; in the mental health fields, this is often reflected in stressors that lead to emotional problems, such as anxiety and depressive disorders, and physical health problems.

Because of racism, the health status for persons of color reveals disturbing disparities related to life span, death rates, and susceptibility to illness.

Racial/ethnic minority groups have less access to health care, the nature of services is woefully inadequate, they are more likely to be medically uninsured, and the services provided are often inferior and more likely to result in the death of racial/ethnic minority clients. Traditional mental health care is often inappropriate and antagonistic to the cultural values and life experiences of populations of color. Rather than feeling that they have been provided benefits, clients often feel invalidated, abused, misunderstood, and oppressed by their providers.