There are many contributing factors to the mental health problems of minority groups. For example, the intergroup and intragroup diversity that exists between and among minority groups has not been recognized and controlled for by social and behavioral scientists. There are also certain social-psychological factors which predispose these groups to emotional disturbance and mental illness. Among them are the common experience of being conquered peoples, the assimilation-acculturation process, and their ethnic minority status. Discrimination and prejudice, poverty, cultural-linguistic barriers, undereducation, and poor physical health are other contributing factors. As a result of these factors, minority group members have a high incidence of mental health problems. In addition, basic misconceptions held by professionals and mental health workers lead to non-treatment or inappropriate treatment of minority group patients. There are also problems with diagnosis and psychological testing of minorities. Some advances have been made, but training institutions need to increase the number of minorities trained and their curriculum must account for cultural and ethnic differences. (Author/EB)