Mental health issues are difficult for anyone. A diagnosis may feel hopeless, and the person may be unable to change life situations that contribute to their mental health struggle. For members of minority groups, mental health issues can be particularly challenging. Individuals of minority groups who struggle with mental health issues must overcome a variety of other challenges that extend beyond their medical diagnosis. These challenges include paying for mental health care, overcoming language barriers, and facing culture and family-based stigmas surrounding mental health.
July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and it is the perfect time to engage with minority mental health issues. In the article below, we discuss the origins of Minority Mental Health Month, important topics in minority mental health, and ways that anyone can get involved in spreading awareness.
When did Minority Mental Health Awareness Month start?
Minority Mental Health Awareness Month first started in July 2008. The US House of Representatives designated the month after an address by African American author, journalist, and activist Bebe Moore Cambell. Campbell drew attention to the unique difficulties that minority groups face when dealing with mental health issues. She faced these difficulties firsthand when helping her daughter deal with a mental health diagnosis.
Campbell noted the important interplay that topics such as race can have with mental health. In one of her most famous quotes, Campbell notes, “People of color really don’t want to say [they struggle with mental health] because we already feel stigmatized by virtue of skin color or eye shape or accent and we don’t want any more reasons for anyone to say, ‘You’re not good enough.'” Minority Mental Health Awareness Month recognizes and draws attention to the challenging realities that minorities have to deal with when struggling with mental illness.
What are important minority mental health issues?
Instead of just battling their diagnoses, members of minority groups often have to deal with a variety of other taxing issues. One such issue is access to mental health care. Many minority groups have trouble accessing the mental healthcare they need, and this lack of access is often due to a lack of health insurance and an inability to pay. For example, Native Americans are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than the general population, and resultantly, many Native Americans lack health insurance.
In addition to issues surrounding paying for mental health care, some minority groups also face difficulties finding adequate care providers in the first place. Often the case with older generations of minority groups, some members of minority groups have trouble finding mental health care providers that speak their native language. Mental health issues are complex, and it can be hard for members of minority groups to receive effective treatment in English. This reality is often the case with older Latinx and Hispanic immigrant populations who may speak limited English.
Members of minority groups may also have challenges facing culture and family-based stigmas surrounding mental health treatment. Similar to the reluctance to receive mental health treatment noted by Campbell, Black and African American men must often contend with intense stigmas when dealing with mental health issues. Likewise, stigmas surrounding mental health issues and treatment are particularly prevalent among Asian Americans. In many Asian American families, discussing mental health problems or receiving mental health treatment is often shameful. As a result, some Asian Americans who struggle with mental health remain silent on their experiences and do not seek treatment.
How to participate in Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
Even with social distancing restrictions, anyone can participate in Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Whether you are a member of a minority community or not, you can participate virtually, and efforts to raise awareness for minority mental health issues can have a significant impact.
You can participate by sharing social media images in support of minority mental health via the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) You Are Not Alone campaign. Be sure to tag each image with hashtags #NotAlone, #MinorityMentalHealth, and #MMHAM. When people who struggle with mental illness see your posts, they will benefit from the reassurance and support that the social media post provides. You can also share your personal experiences with mental health issues through NAMI’s Personal Stories campaign. NAMI will publish select stories on their website, and each story can help individuals who may be in a similar situation.
How can Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital help?
Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital serves the mental health needs of the greater Las Vegas, Nevada, community, and we recognize the unique challenges that minorities face when dealing with mental health issues. Our clinicians strive to create a welcoming environment for everyone with culturally competent mental health care. We offer outpatient mental health programs, and for patients who need a more involved program, we also provide inpatient mental health treatment options.
To get started at Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, call our 24/7 hotline at (877) 663-7976 and schedule a free mental health assessment with our caring team.
