This supplement to "Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General" (1999) documents the existence of striking disparities for minorities in mental health services and the underlying knowledge base. Racial and ethnic minorities have less access to mental health services than whites, and they are less likely to receive needed care. When they receive care, it is more likely to be poor in quality. These disparities have powerful significance for minority groups and for society as a whole. A major finding of this supplement is that racial and ethnic minorities bear a greater burden from unmet mental health needs and thus suffer a greater loss to their overall health and productivity. Chapter 1 provides a detailed introduction to the supplement, and Chapter 2 discusses the influences of culture and society on mental health. Chapters 3 through 6 specifically address mental health care for African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic Americans. Chapter 7 outlines a vision for the future and highlights promising courses of action that can be used to reach the ambitious goals of reducing barriers and promoting equal access to effective mental health services for all persons who need them. The report contains two appendixes, one that examines the inclusion of minorities in controlled clinical trials used to develop professional treatment guidelines for major mental disorders, and a detailed resource directory. (Contains over 500 references and an index.) (GCP)