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DiversityNursing Blog

Cultural Mental Healthcare Disparities

Posted by Erica Bettencourt

Wed, Feb 02, 2022 @ 11:39 AM

GettyImages-1308910334There are large disparities in mental healthcare across races and ethnicities in the U.S. Many factors contribute to the poor mental health outcomes of minority populations. Such as:

  • Inaccessible mental healthcare services
  • Transportation issues, difficulty finding childcare/taking time off work
  • Lacking health insurance coverage
  • Cultural stigma regarding mental healthcare
  • The lack of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) healthcare professionals
  • Racism, bias, and discrimination in healthcare
  • Language barriers

African Americans develop mental health conditions at a similar rate as the general population however, they are less likely to seek care. 

Statistics tell us that about 25% of African Americans seek mental health care, compared to 40% of whites.

Only 1 in 3 Black adults who need mental health care receive it, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Mental Health Facts for African Americans guide. 

Research shows American Indian/Alaska Native populations have disproportionately higher rates of mental health problems than the general population.

The overall death rate from suicide for American Indian/Alaska Native adults is about 20% higher compared to the non-Hispanic white population.

In 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death for American Indian/Alaska Natives between the ages of 10 and 34. 

According to Mental Health America (MHA), Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are the least likely racial group in the U.S. to seek mental health services.

Findings from the National Latino and Asian American Study also found that 17.3% of Asian Americans will be diagnosed with a psychiatric condition at some point in their lifetime.

The APA Mental Health Facts for Hispanics and Latinos/as guide reported Hispanics are at lower risk of most psychiatric disorders compared with non-Hispanic whites.

Also Hispanics are more likely to report poor communication with their health provider. Several studies have found that bilingual patients are evaluated differently when interviewed in English as opposed to Spanish and that Hispanics are more frequently undertreated.

It will take enormous effort to reduce disparities in the U.S. In order to achieve mental health equity we must improve access, hire more multicultural providers, offer better insurance coverage, and provide education surrounding stigma and misconceptions.

Resources

African American Mental Health Providers

Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective

Inclusive Therapists

Therapy for Black Men

The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association

Find an Asian Therapist

Center for Traditional Medicine

One Sky Center

Indian Health Service

American Society of Hispanic Psychiatry

Therapy for LatinX

The National Alliance for Hispanic Health

SAMHSA’s National Helpline

National Institute of Mental Health brochures and fact sheets

Podcasts

Homecoming Podcast

All My Relations Podcast

The Melanated Social Work Podcast

Between Sessions Podcast

The Full Well Podcast

MannMukti: Mental Health Podcast

Asian Mental & Emotional Health Podcasts

Latinx Therapy Podcast

The Latinx Mental Health Podcast

Topics: mental health, minority mental health, cultural mental health disparities, mental health disparities

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