Time to Make a Change: Addressing Mental Health Disparities for Minorities

We live in a diverse society that offers us opportunities to expand the richness and resilience of our communities, if we embrace it. We also live in an unequal society, and nowhere is this clearer than in mental healthcare access. This Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to shine a light on the current realities of mental health disparities and take an honest look at how we can make changes to tackle these inequalities head-on.

Barriers to mental healthcare for minority groups

Existing in a minority population in the US can come with experiences of discrimination and bigotry. This discrimination can have strong impacts on mental health, and there are often worse mental health outcomes for people who are a part of multiple minority groups.

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It is a well-researched fact in the US that mental healthcare is less accessible for minority populations, and that there are noticeable differences in mental health outcomes for those same populations. At a time when mental healthcare is needed more than ever, we invite you to join us as we take an honest look at the existing mental health disparities for minorities and get started, or keep going, on making real changes.

Stigma against needing or receiving mental healthcare

Multiple minority groups have stigmas against needing or receiving mental healthcare, for varying reasons:

• Asian Americans are more likely to self-stigmatize as a result of external pressures to exist as a “model minority”, criticizing themselves for needing mental health support.
• Black Americans can be subject to stigma around their mental health from medical professionals, social structures, schools, family and friend groups, and internal stigma, all of which make mental healthcare hard to access.
• LGBTQIA+ Americans are 2x more likely to have a mental health disorder but are often reluctant to seek care for fear of being mistreated by providers or worry that their sexuality or gender identity will be pathologized.
• Latino and Hispanic Americans are more likely to be skeptical of the need for mental healthcare, and rigid gender roles and social expectations can increase the stigma around mental health in these communities.
• Indigenous Americans are more likely to have mental health problems than other populations but are much less likely to have access to care, and stigma plays a part in that.

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Biased care providers

Despite increased efforts to reduce bias in mental healthcare, there are still mental healthcare providers who are biased against different minority populations. Microaggressions and overt discrimination in the therapy room can strengthen minority mental health disparities, as these experiences can justifiably make it less likely for members of minority communities to trust, or be willing to seek mental healthcare.

Being a member of a minority community can also make it harder to receive an accurate diagnosis. The parameters for diagnosis are sometimes established without taking into account considerations around gender, sexuality, race, ethnic background, culture, immigration status, spoken languages, social class, and more. Accessing care is harder for populations who are more likely to be misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all.

Lack of access to care

While telehealth has greatly expanded access to mental healthcare by reducing geographic constraints on receiving care, mental healthcare remains out of reach for many Americans. Mental healthcare can be hard to find for many due to lack of insurance coverage, high costs, being unsure of how to locate providers, and difficulty in finding specialized care providers with availability.

What can we do to improve mental health outcomes for minority populations?

At Pure Health Center, we consider it one of our main missions to decrease minority mental health disparities, and we have suggestions for those who want to join the effort.

Increase awareness of mental health disparities for minorities

Increasing your knowledge on minority mental health disparities is a great starting place for making change, and you can share what you learn with people you know. Consider sharing the information you find with your government representatives as well; as a citizen and a voter, politicians and their staff will pay attention when you speak up on an issue.  

Improve access to mental health

You may not be a mental health care professional, but you can still help! Look for groups that are already working on reducing mental health disparities and see how you can support them.

Confront your own biases and the biases of others

Examining your own biases around mental health can help you lead the way in shifting the stigma around mental healthcare. After you’ve examined your own biases and made changes to remove stigmatizing language and ideas from your life,  you’ll be equipped to start calling out others when you notice them reinforcing stigma.

Pure Health is working to create opportunities for mental healthcare that are a cultural fit

As the landscape of mental healthcare shifts toward care providers who are from diverse backgrounds and can connect with clients on a more personal level, finding mental healthcare that feels like a good culture fit is increasingly accessible. Minorities are more effectively positioned than ever to shape mental healthcare, breaking down barriers and reducing biases to improve minority mental health outcomes.

Providers like Claude Louis, who specializes in connecting with members of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities, are finding spaces like Pure Health Center, where they can reach populations who need their support. Claude takes a Liberation and Person-Centric approach to therapy, so his clients feel seen, heard, and validated as they explore their mental health. Because Claude is one of an increasing number of providers who are able to understand firsthand the biases their clients experience, members of minority populations are more able to access mental healthcare in Chicago that does not reinforce those biases but instead speaks to their lived experience.

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If you’re in need of mental healthcare from providers who are both aware of minority mental health disparities and are invested in making changes to improve access to mental healthcare that actually helps, connect with Pure Health today.

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