Mental health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to reach their highest level of mental health and emotional wellbeing.
The Center for Disease Control observes National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month each July. This observance raises awareness of the challenges that affect the mental health of racial and ethnic minority groups. Learn more about mental health and find ways to support mental health equity.
Mental health matters! Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is just as important as physical health throughout our lives.
Mental health issues are common – more than 1 in 5 US adults live with a mental illness. Mental health issues are treatable and often preventable, but not everyone has access to the resources they need. People in some racial and ethnic minority groups face more challenges than others getting mental health care.
Many people from racial and ethnic minority groups have difficulty getting mental health care. This can be due to many different reasons, such as cost or not having adequate health insurance coverage. It may also be challenging to find providers from one’s racial or ethnic group. Stigma or negative ideas about mental health care may also prevent people from seeking services.
Other things in our environment can impact mental health and emotional well-being. For example, experiencing or witnessing racial discrimination or racial violence can cause stress and racial trauma. Poverty (or having low income) may limit access to mental health care. Poverty can also cause stress and may lead to mental health issues.
Everyone benefits when people from racial and ethnic minority groups can thrive. We all have a role to play in promoting health equity.
Individuals can:
- Learn about mental health.
- Learn about healthy ways to cope with stress and respond to loss. Engage in these practices, when possible.
- Share information on mental health, healthy coping skills, and resources with family, friends, neighbors, and others in your community.
- Talk about mental health and use non-stigmatizing language.
- Learn about implicit bias. Implicit biases are unintentional attitudes, behaviors, and actions that are in favor of or against one person or group.
- Learn about microaggressions. Microaggressions are everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults. They communicate negative messages to people because of their membership in a marginalized group. Microaggressions can be intentional or unintentional.
- Make ongoing efforts to avoid implicit bias, microaggressions, and other forms of discrimination.
- If you need more support:
- Access free and confidential resources including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Get treatment from a mental health care provider
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- BIPOC Mental Health Month Toolkit – Mental Health America
- Suicide Prevention
- Depression is Not a Normal Part of Growing Older
- Depression Among Women
- Mental Health in the Workplace
- The Mental Health of People with Disabilities
- National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
- What is Mental Health?
- Mental Health and Mental Disorders – Healthy People 2030
- About the Office of Behavioral Health Equity
Sources:
Center for Disease Control, Office of Health Equity
Each illness has its own symptoms, but common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:
The origin of National Minority Health Month was the 1915 establishment of National Negro Health Week by Booker T. Washington. In 2002, National Minority Health Month received support from the U.S. Congress with a concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 388) that “a National Minority Health and Health Disparities Month should be established to promote educational efforts on the health problems currently facing minorities and other populations experiencing health disparities.” The resolution encouraged “all health organizations and Americans to conduct appropriate programs and activities to promote healthfulness in minority and other communities experiencing health disparities.