July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Although receiving mental health support is becoming more and more normalized, many minorities still face stigmas and barriers that keep them from receiving the mental health they need. It is important to have an understanding of the mental health landscape for minorities in order to best be able to meet their needs.
According to the CDC, more than 1 in 5 adults in the United States suffer from mental illness or conditions. But disproportionately, white, cisgender, heterosexual, and able-bodied people tend to have more access to mental health support. In today’s blog, let’s break down some statistics about minority mental health, barriers that exist, and ways that the mental health landscape can change to become more equitable.
A Close Look At Minority Mental Health
A minority is defined as an individual or community that is underrepresented throughout the general population. For instance, 75.5% of Americans are white, so Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color (BIPOC) tend to be minority groups. Another term that is commonly used is “marginalized groups,” as these groups often receive unfair or marginalized treatment compared to the rest of the population.
In 2020, 28% of Black adults and 27% of Hispanic adults reported experiencing substance abuse or mental health issues, compared to 36% of white adults. This is not likely because the Black and Hispanic American population suffers less from mental illness, but rather due to economic and social barriers that may prevent them from receiving care at the same rate, which we will discuss in the next section. In fact, the same study showed that though there were fewer reported substance abuse and mental health issues in people of color, the rise in deaths due to drug overdoses and suicide disproportionately affected people of color.
Other marginalizations are affected differently, but there is still a clear effect. For instance, adults with physical disabilities mention suffering mental distress 5 times as often as able-bodied adults. Meanwhile, 37% of people in the LGBTQIA report having a mental illness, and LGBTQ+ youth are 4 times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers due to stigmatization.
Barriers Keeping Minority Communities From Receiving Mental Health Support
As we mentioned, even in minority communities that have low percentages of mental health diagnoses, it is likely not that they suffer less from mental illness as it is that they have more barriers preventing them from getting a diagnosis or seeking out help. Some of these barriers include:
Current Mental Health Screening Tools
Diagnostic assessments typically use standard tools and checklists that are designed to detect mental illness in patients. However, these tools are themselves not unbiased. Many of them were created (whether intentionally or not) with white and Eurocentric, heterosexual, able-bodied patients in mind. Symptoms of depression may look different between a white cisgender woman living in a middle class environment and a homeless Black transgender man.
It is important for these mental health screening tools to evolve with our current understanding of the world and culture. Mental health screenings must take into account how different life experiences, backgrounds, and socioeconomic circumstances might impact someone’s symptoms. Until there are more culturally sensitive mental health screening procedures, this will continue to be a barrier.
Profiling and Mass Incarceration
Another issue is that mental illness symptoms in people of color are more likely to be seen as disruptive or criminal than the same symptoms exhibited by white students. This often begins in the classroom, with children of color who express visible symptoms of mental health concerns being punished rather than given support. In adulthood, especially as neglected symptoms worsen, this continued behavior can lead to people of color being incarcerated rather than receiving the mental health treatment they need.
Financial and Physical Accessibility
Economic hardship tends to disproportionately impact people of color. 19.5% of Black Americans live in poverty, the highest poverty rate of any race in the United States. In addition, 17.1% of Hispanic Americans and 9.3% of Asian Americans live in poverty, compared to 8.1% of white Americans. Because of this, many people of color can not afford any health care that isn’t urgent and may not see mental health care as urgent.
On top of this, many people of color live in either more remote areas with a lower cost of living or areas with high public transportation so they don’t have to afford a car. This can make showing up for therapy appointments in the office difficult to achieve, especially if they have multiple jobs and limited time off. Americans with certain disabilities may also struggle to make it to therapy. This has at least been improved since the popularization of Telehealth appointments.
Concerns Over Care
Finally, many minorities have reservations about reaching out for mental health support only to be dismissed or to be subjected to microaggressions by their care provider. Many of the issues that an LGBTQIA+ patient or a patient of color might face would be very different than white, heterosexual patients. These patients can sometimes fear not being understood, or may have had poor experiences with therapists in the past.
Bridging the Gap With Diverse and Inclusive Staff
Mental health care providers have a responsibility in many ways to bridge the gap and make their practice more inclusive and welcoming to patients from all different types of backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. One way to do this is by hiring a diverse and inclusive staff. Therapists of color or therapists in the LGBTQIA+ community are much more likely to understand the experiences of patients of color or LGBTQIA+ patients and may put those patients more at ease.
In addition, mental healthcare provider networks can conduct cultural sensitivity training. Providers may conduct research to be able to more fairly assess minority patients in diagnostic screenings.
Diversity and inclusion is one of the priorities of Rivia Mind. Our providers are not only highly skilled and compassionate but come from a wide range of cultures and experiences. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you or book a free 15-minute consultation.
