• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FHE Health | Inpatient Rehab & Mental Health Facility in Florida Homepage

Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment

ContactCareers

Call for Immediate Help (833) 596-3502

MENUMENU
  • About
        • About FHE Rehab
          • About FHE Health
          • Our Staff
          • Locations We Serve
          • Testimonials
        • Our Campus
          • Gallery
          • Our Videos
          • The Health and Wellness Center at FHE Health
        • Our Locations
          • Alcohol Rehab
          • Detox Center
          • Drug Rehab
          • Mental Health Center
          • Outpatient Rehab
        • Careers at FHE Health
          • Employment Opportunities
        • Our Expertise
          • Accreditations
          • Educational Opportunities
          • Community Impact Award
          • First Responder Families Podcast
          • First Responder Paws
          • Education Scholarship
  • Addiction
        • Treatment Programs
          • Treatment Program Overview
          • Alcohol Addiction
          • Drug Addiction Treatment
          • Behavioral Addiction
        • Levels of Care
          • Continuum of Care
          • Addiction Detox
          • Inpatient Addiction Treatment
          • Outpatient Addiction Treatment
        • What We Treat
          • Alcoholism
          • Amphetamines
          • Benzodiazepines
          • Cocaine
          • Heroin
          • Opioids
          • Sedative
  • Mental Health
        • Mental Health Rehab
          • Mental Health Rehab
          • Onsite Psychiatric Care
          • Dual Diagnosis
        • Levels of Care
          • Residential Mental Health Care
          • Outpatient Mental Health Care
        • What We Treat
          • ADD & ADHD
          • Anxiety Disorders
          • Bipolar Disorder
          • Depression
          • Eating Disorders
          • Personality Disorders
          • PTSD
          • Schizophrenia
          • Substance Use Disorder
          • Trauma
  • Programs
        • FHE Programs
          • Specialty Program Overview
          • Restore (Mental Health)
          • Empower! (Women's Program)
          • Shatterproof FHE Health(First Responders)
          • Compass Program
        • Support Programs
          • Alumni
          • Family Support
        • Therapies
          • Acupuncture
          • Breathwork Therapy
          • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
          • DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
          • EMDR Therapy
          • Expressive Arts Therapy
          • Individual Therapy
          • Group Therapy
          • Gambling Therapy
          • Massage
        • Medical Care
          • Medical Integration
          • Ketamine Infusion
          • IV Vitamin
          • Fitness & Nutrition
          • Medication-Assisted Treatment
          • Medication Management
        • NeuroRehab Services
          • Neuro Rehabilitation
          • Neurofeedback Training
          • Neurostimulation Therapy
          • EEG Brain Mapping
          • Insomnia Treatment for PTSD
  • Resources
        • FHE Guides
          • Understanding Drug Abuse
          • Signs of Addiction
          • The Disease of Addiction
          • Confronting Addiction
          • Staging an Intervention
          • Rehab Success Rate – Does It Really Work?
          • Withdrawal Timelines
          • Life After Rehab
          • LGBTQ+ Community Resources
          • Veteran Resources
          • FHE Podcasts
          • Remote Resources Toolkit
        • Learning Center
          • Help for You
          • Help For Loved Ones
          • Help For Alcoholism
          • Help With Substance Abuse
          • Behavioral & Mental Health
          • Life in Recovery
          • Rehab Explained
          • Addiction Statistics
          • Our Research Articles
          • View All Articles
        • The Experience Blog
          • Addiction News
          • Alumni
          • Community Events
          • Expert Opinions
          • FHE Commentary
          • FHE News
          • Treatment Legislation
          • View All Articles
  • Admissions
        • Insurance
          • Blue Cross Insurance
          • Beacon Health / Value Options Insurance
          • Cigna Insurance
          • Humana Insurance
          • TRICARE Insurance
        • Admissions
          • Steps to Addiction Help
          • Will Insurance Cover Behavioral Treatment?
          • Self-Pay Rehab
        • FAQ
          • Keeping Your Job in Rehab
          • Example Day in Rehab
        • Contact Admissions
          • Contact Us
          • Secure Payment Form
  • Contact
  •  
Home > Learning > Behavioral & Mental Health > Breaking Mental Health Stigma in Minority Communities

August 8, 2024 By Chris Foy

Breaking Mental Health Stigma in Minority Communities

Breaking the Mental Health Stigma in Minorities

During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, everyone expected the captain of the U.S. gymnastics team, Simone Biles, to bring home a few more gold medals. However, millions were shocked when the 24-year-old African American woman pulled out halfway into the competition, claiming she wasn’t in the right headspace to continue. Thousands took to social media to express their anger and disgust at the fact that she refused to perform her duty despite having no quantifiable injury. The young woman was called “a national embarrassment” and still experiences vicious attacks online because she decided to put her mental health first.

Simone Biles isn’t the first to face mental health stigma in minorities. While the backlash against her came from a multiracial and multiethnic mass, most people from a minority community face mental health stigma within their homes and societies. Mental health stigma in minority communities colors people’s view of mental health and impacts their willingness and ability to seek and receive mental health services.

Understanding the impact of mental health stigma in minorities is key to developing strategies for creating inclusive mental health services.

Need Help?

Treatment can begin quickly and discreetly, get started now

Contact Us

What are the Mental Health Challenges Faced in Minority Communities?

American minorities face various forms of stigma when pursuing quality mental health care. Institutional stigma refers to the systemic injustices in various echelons of American society that make it difficult for them to find appropriate and affordable mental care within their neighborhoods. The low number of mental health professionals who understand the unique background of a minority community and its role in their mental health struggles also discourages many minorities from seeking or continuing mental health treatment.

Public or community stigma is a barrier that occurs when individuals in a select society hold and perpetuate untrue beliefs about mental health and associated conditions. For example, some American Muslims believe mental health issues are a Western concept that doesn’t affect people from their communities.

Black Americans are likely to view mental illnesses as temporary conditions that must be endured until they pass. African Americans are also more likely to seek treatment for mental health symptoms in emergency and primary care rooms rather than from mental health specialists.

Asian Americans, including young adults, consider mental conditions less severe than physical illnesses. This minority community has the lowest rates of mental health diagnoses despite having high incidences of serious mental illnesses. Asians are also less likely to seek mental health assistance from people outside their communities, preferring to find relief for mental health symptoms from their social connections rather than mental health professionals.

Minority communities that share a religion may view mental illnesses as a sign of weak faith and ask people with mental health symptoms to pray their struggles away. For example, some Christian sects perform elaborate and abusive rituals to cast out “demons” from people experiencing symptoms of depression, mania, or psychosis.

Internalized stigma is another barrier against which minorities struggle to access mental health help. Individuals from minority communities who believe they’re different or better than other societies, such as Asians who buy into the model minority myth, may be embarrassed when they realize they struggle with mental health conditions similar to those of an outgroup. Such people may prefer to keep quiet about their mental health struggles to maintain their standing in the community.

Individuals who rely on their communities for physical, social, and other forms of support are less likely to seek mental health services due to the associated stigma, even when they don’t buy into the myths and misconceptions about mental health. This is because the shame attached to “mental weaknesses” could lead to social isolation or shunning, which affects their means of accessing shelter and sustenance.

Begin your recovery today

Ready to start? More questions about treatment?

Contact Us

What is the Impact of Mental Health Stigma in Minorities?

Barriers such as mental health stigma in minorities lead to negative mental health outcomes for individuals, families, and the whole community. Recent data on mental illness by race shows that suicide rates among Native Americans increased by 26% within four years. Black Americans faced a 19% increase in suicide rates, while Hispanic Americans experienced a 7% increase in such deaths.

Increased suicide rates aren’t the only adverse effects of mental health stigma in minorities. Low access to mental health services contributes to worse personal, financial, and social outcomes among minorities. For example, teenagers who can’t access mental health care may self-isolate, self-harm, or use addictive substances.

Severe mental health symptoms interfere with someone’s ability to care for themselves and others. Young people who experience debilitating mental health symptoms may drop out of school. At the same time, adults may lose their jobs or homes or even get incarcerated due to untreated mental health conditions.

Importance of Breaking Mental Health Stigma in Minority Communities?

Individuals with untreated mental illnesses experience high rates of unemployment and homelessness. They’re also likely to have chronic health conditions such as heart disease and addiction. Additionally, mental illnesses make a significant contribution to high rates of disability.

Communities with high rates of untreated mental health conditions are often poor and unsafe due to high crime rates.

Untreated mental illnesses cost the American economy over $300 billion annually since affected individuals are often economically unproductive and rely on taxpayers to cover the costs of health care and disabilities.

Therefore, understanding and removing the barriers people in a minority community face is crucial for improving health, social, and economic outcomes for individuals, communities, and American society as a whole.

Mental Health Conditions We Treat

add adhd

ADD & ADHD

A disorder in which individuals display characteristics such as distraction, impulsiveness, hyperactivity and poor attention.

Learn More
anxiety

Anxiety

Anxiety can be described as the constant feeling of an alarm going off when an individual feels stressed or threatened.

Learn More
bipolar disorder

Bipolar Disorder

A disorder which causes changes in an individual’s moods, energy levels and prevents the ability to handle day-to-day tasks.

Learn More
depression

Depression

When left untreated, depression can lead to serious long-term effects, such as feelings of loneliness and thoughts of suicide.

Learn More
eating disorders

Eating Disorders

A condition in which an individual displays abnormal eating habits, negatively affecting their mental and physical health.

Learn More
ocd treatment

OCD

A mental health disorder in which individuals frequently experience repetitive, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

Learn More
personality disorder

Personality Disorder

A personality disorder can significantly disrupt the lives of both the affected person and those who care about that person.

Learn More
ptsd

PTSD

A disorder that may develop after experiencing or witnessing something traumatic, shocking, scary, or life-threatening.

Learn More
substance abuse

Substance Abuse

Most individuals suffering from substance abuse disorder may want to quit using, but the urges are too strong to control.

Learn More

 

What are the Strategies for Change?

Education is key to breaking the stigma around mental health conditions in minority communities. When people understand that the brain can get sick just like other body parts, they’re less likely to feel shame if they need mental health services. Community members will also be free to support those struggling with their mental health in the same way they’d support people with other health conditions.

Mental health professionals should recruit and utilize mental health advocates from a minority community to dismantle the stigma around mental health. People are more likely to listen and change their minds on taboo topics if challenged by those they can relate to.

Mental health professionals interested in breaking the stigma within a minority community must be culturally competent. Professionals who understand and respect the traditions and customs of different minority groups can provide better mental health assistance to their members. Knowing how to communicate the language of mental health to community members respectfully raises the chances of bringing positive changes.

Our Facilities

Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.

View Our Gallery

Promoting Inclusivity

Providing inclusive mental health services is another solid strategy for removing mental health stigma in minority communities. Mental health providers should have programs that cover the needs of people from different walks of life. People breaking away from stigma are more likely to seek mental health assistance if they’re confident in finding programs that acknowledge the unique nature of their problems.

FHE Health has spent years working to eradicate the stigma affecting minorities and mental health. Contact us to learn more about our specialty programs for minority groups such as women, seniors, and first responders.

More Questions about Treatment?

We offer 100% confidential and individualized treatment

Contact Us

Filed Under: Behavioral & Mental Health, Featured in Mental Health

About Chris Foy

Chris Foy is a content manager and webmaster for FHE Health with years of experience in the addiction treatment industry...read more

Primary Sidebar

Learning Center

  • Help for You
  • Help For Loved Ones
  • Help For Alcoholism
  • Help With Substance Abuse
  • Behavioral & Mental Health
  • Life in Recovery
  • Rehab Explained
  • All Articles

Sign up for the Blog

Our Facilities

Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.

View Our Gallery

The Experience Blog

  • Addiction News
  • Alumni
  • Community Events
  • Expert Columns
  • FHE Commentary
  • FHE News
  • Treatment Legislation
  • All Articles

Footer

FHE Health

© 2025 FHE Health

505 S Federal Hwy #2,
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441
1-833-596-3502
youtube facebook instagram linkedin twitter
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • AI Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
A+ BBB and Top Places to Work - Sun Sentinel

Copyright © 2025 · FHE Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}

The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.

If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at marketing@fhehealth.com.

833-596-3502

Text/Call Me