Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
What is it?
Mental health conditions do not discriminate based on race, color, gender or identity. Anyone can experience the challenges of mental illness regardless of their background.
However, statistics show clear disparities between races in terms of differing ease of access to mental health resources and help which not only affects the average persistence of the illness, but also decreases the potential for more widespread awareness within America's most diverse communities. Other factors that cause these prevalent statistical racial discrepancies are cultural stigma and lower quality care.
For this reason, Minority Mental Health Awareness Month was established by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in 2008 to start shedding light on this issue and inspiring people to help.
The Facts
Statistics that support the points made above, as recorded by the American Psychiatric Association, include:
Ethnic/racial minorities often bear a disproportionately high burden of disability resulting from mental disorders.
Although rates of depression are lower in blacks (24.6%) and Hispanics (19.6%) than in whites (34.7%), depression in blacks and Hispanics is likely to be more persistent.
People who identify as being two or more races (24.9%) are most likely to report any mental illness within the past year than any other race/ethnic group, followed by American Indian/Alaska Natives (22.7%), white (19%), and black (16.8%).
American Indians/Alaskan Natives report higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence than any other ethic/ racial group.
Furthermore, it is cited from the same source that there are differences in the types of services used more frequently by people of different ethnic groups. Adults identifying as white were more likely to receive outpatient mental health services and more likely to use prescription psychiatric medication than other racial/ethnic groups. Inpatient mental health services were used more frequently by black adults and those reporting two or more races.
How to Help
Even though you might live in a more homogeneous community, or at least one that is privileged enough where minorities find it relatively easy to seek help for the mental issues, there are many ways to educate yourself on this topic and at least sign respected petitions and donate to charities to help out.
Show that it is ok to come out about your personal issues, and that it's ok not to be ok
Share your story: it is a very comfortable feeling when you realize that you aren't alone in what you are going through.
Learn to identify signs of mental illness, so that if you spot something off about those close to you, you can offer assistance and assure them that they aren't alone
Learn about mental health conditions in detail to get a larger idea of how it affects people
Watch the NAMI docuseries, Strength Over Silence:Stories of Courage, Culture and Community which highlights perspectives on mental health from the African American and Latinx communities. Through candid and courageous stories of lived experience, these mental health champions share their resilience and recovery.
Common signs and symptoms of mental illness: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968
5 most common types of mental illnesses
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