July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community faces unique challenges when it comes to mental health. Being aware of these challenges is the first step towards reducing inequality in mental health care.
Members of the BIPOC community face many barriers and challenges when it comes to accessing mental health care and support. Historical barriers and systemic racism have led to some members of the BIPOC community feeling marginalized. While healthcare providers and politicians have made significant progress in terms of improving equality for ethnic minorities, a lifetime of social inequality, racism and trauma means many individuals in those communities feel unable to seek help for their mental health challenges.
Minority Mental Health Awareness Month aims to address some of that inequality by raising awareness of the issues faced by the BIPOC community. We hope to encourage BIPOC individuals to work together as a community to support each other and empower their loved ones to speak up about their challenges or seek help.
The Mental Health Disparity in BIPOC Communities
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, past-year illicit drug use was higher among American Indian or Alaska Native (36.7%) and Multiracial people (36.2%) than among White (26.1%), Hispanic (21.6%), or Asian people (12.4%).
The same survey found that Multiracial adults were more likely than White adults to have experienced any mental illness in the past year.
Structural Barriers to Care
The healthcare system is set up to serve the default patient. However, the systems that serve the average member of the population can fall apart when faced with deviations from the norm.
BIPOC communities face multiple barriers in terms of access (both physical and financial), insurance options, and even a lack of culturally competent healthcare providers. White healthcare providers often lack an understanding of minority cultures, and this makes it difficult for individuals from ethnic minorities to explain their experiences and get the kind of care they need.
Cultural Barriers to Accessing Minority Mental Health Care
One often-overlooked issue when it comes to mental health care inequality is that of cultural differences, including stigmas, language barriers and a lack of understanding of cultural norms.
Stigma Surrounding Mental Health
Some communities are highly spiritual or religious and view struggling with mental health as a character flaw. In those communities, someone experiencing mental health challenges might fear that their loved ones would consider their issues to be a sign of weakness. This kind of culture can make it difficult for someone to seek help before they reach a crisis point.
Language Barriers
A lack of counselors and therapists who speak the languages most commonly used in the BIPOC community makes it harder for older individuals who aren’t bilingual to access healthcare. For example, California has a significant population of Latino individuals, but there’s a shortage of Latino psychologists and therapists to care for that community.
Mistrust of Healthcare Systems
Some ethnic communities feel distrustful of the healthcare system, either because of past experiences of mistreatment or medical malpractice, or because of discrimination. For example, a report published in Frontiers in Psychology indicates black men are more likely to have a physician diagnose them with schizophrenia at higher rates than other groups, and often face different treatment in the legal system, too.
Conditions Often Underdiagnosed in BIPOC Communities
The barriers mentioned above mean individuals from BIPOC communities often fail to seek care for conditions such as depression, anxiety, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Even if they do seek care, they often struggle to communicate the difficulties they’re facing in a way that their care provider understands.
This, combined with systemic racism, means individuals from BIPOC communities often struggle to get a correct diagnosis from a mental health professional.
The Role of Culturally Competent Care
Culturally competent care can go a long way towards reducing the inequality in the care system. By removing as many barriers as possible to accessing mental health care, culturally competent providers help encourage more individuals from the BIPOC community to seek aid before they’re in a mental health crisis.
Finding the Right Provider
If you’re a member of the BIPOC community and you’re struggling to access mental health care services, look for a care provider that clearly caters to your community. Providers who advertise services for ethnic minorities are more likely to be able to meet your needs. Even something as simple as having a provider who speaks your language can greatly increase the standard of care you receive.
How FHE Health Approaches Culturally Competent Treatment
At FHE Health, we believe culturally competent care is essential to serving the BIPOC community well. We recognize that a person’s background, language, and lived experience shape how they understand and seek care, and we value the role that cultural sensitivity plays in helping people feel understood. Reducing the barriers that keep people from getting the support they need is a principle we hold at the center of good behavioral health care.
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FAQ
Why does minority mental health care matter?
Minority mental health care matters because individuals in the BIPOC community face unique challenges and barriers to accessing health care services. Health care professionals and policymakers who are not a part of ethnic minority groups often overlook these challenges.
What barriers do BIPOC individuals face when accessing mental health care?
BIPOC communities face economic, systemic and cultural barriers that can impact their ability to access mental health care. Racism, discrimination, and malpractice, as well as income disparities and cultural differences, can make accessing care a challenge.
What is culturally competent mental health care?
Culturally competent mental health care is care that meets the social, cultural and linguistic needs of the community. Health care providers who aim to be culturally competent understand how a person’s upbringing and life experiences can shape their mental health and outlook.
Mental Health Care From People Who Understand Your Culture
At FHE Health, we understand the importance of culturally competent mental health care. We aim to deliver healthcare that is accessible, culturally sensitive, flexible and respectful to people from minority groups. If you’d like to know more about the mental health care services we offer, reach out to our care team to book a confidential consultation.
