BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, also known as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, is observed every July to bring awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental health challenges in the United States. While mental health conditions do not discriminate based on race, gender or identity, these can contribute to making access to treatment much more difficult.
In 2020, the percentage of people who reported to be of multiple races increased from 9 million people in 2010 to 33.8 million people. People who identify as being of two or more races are most likely to report any mental illness within the past year than any other race/ethnic group.
In the United States, 13.4% of the population identifies as Black or African American. Of those, over 7 million people have reported having a mental illness in the past year. Despite society’s progress over the years, racism continues to have an impact on the mental health of Black and African American individuals.
With a shortage of bilingual or Spanish-speaking mental health professionals, Latinx/Hispanic individuals struggle to receive proper treatment. Language barriers make it hard for Latinx/Hispanics to express their concerns and feelings to healthcare providers.
Factors that can prevent Native/Indigenous people from receiving treatment include a lack of awareness about mental health issues and services and a lack of providers that are sensitive to their culture. Native/Indigenous people who meet the criteria for depression, anxiety, or substance abuse disorders are much more likely to seek help from a spiritual or traditional healer than from a medical source.
Historically, Asian American/Pacific Islanders have had challenges in accessing healthcare and insurance. They are also three times less likely to seek mental health services compared to their white counterparts.
To learn more about this year’s theme of #BeyondTheNumbers visit https://mhanational.org/BIPOC-mental-health-month
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