This July, Maryvale joins organizations throughout the United States in honoring Minority Mental Health Month, a time to raise awareness about the unique mental health experiences and challenges faced by individuals from marginalized racial and ethnic communities. Together with our community partners, we are seeking to address the disparities in mental healthcare and increase our understanding of the mental health issues that disproportionately affect minority populations. This observance is crucial in promoting inclusivity, reducing stigma, and improving access to culturally sensitive mental health services.
Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian people face steep social and economic inequality and have access to fewer opportunities. Racial and ethnic minority communities often face numerous challenges that contribute to mental health disparities. These include systemic racism, discrimination, socioeconomic inequalities, cultural stigma surrounding mental health, language barriers, limited access to healthcare, and historical trauma. At Maryvale, we respectfully acknowledge Minority Mental Health Month this month to bring awareness to the mental health experiences within marginalized communities, specifically among people of color. When addressing trauma, receiving care, and shifting conversations in the health and wellness space, these groups are often without the extra attention they need.
Minority Mental Health Month signals the need for a broader cultural awakening around race, class, history, and psychological well-being. Not only do these groups require excellent mental health providers, but they also deserve culturally aware, sensitive practitioners who can meet them where they are, validate their experience, and create a meaningful path to healing. Recognizing and welcoming nuanced cultural factors into mental health conversations is crucial in providing effective care and support. Cultural beliefs, values, and practices shape individuals’ experiences and perspectives on mental health. Culturally competent care involves understanding and respecting diverse backgrounds, languages, and belief systems to provide appropriate and inclusive services.
Minority Mental Health Month acknowledges the intersectionality of identities and how multiple aspects, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and disability, can impact mental health experiences. It highlights the need for an inclusive approach that addresses the unique challenges faced by individuals with intersecting identities. Every minority community has specific nuances that speak to their history and their treatment in culture and society. The needs that affect one community are nuanced and specialized to a particular lineage of people. For instance, Black and African American communities face significantly higher homicide risks than other groups and are more likely to face socioeconomic hardship than any other group. Hispanic and Latino people see higher suicide attempt rates among female adolescents than any other ethnic group. Asian Americans have suffered through a disturbing spike in hate crimes since 2020. PTSD and suicide risk are significant mental health risks for Asian Americans – notably for teenagers and young adults. Indigenous Americans are more likely than other groups to be without health insurance, which creates a significant economic barrier to seeking mental health and substance use support. In different ways, people in these communities live amid a backdrop of fear for their personal safety.
Against this intersectional backdrop, many minoritized people face stigma when seeking mental health care. Minority Mental Health Month aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health within minority communities. Stigma can prevent individuals from seeking help and support. Black women, for instance, are far less likely to seek mental health support than other groups due to a long history of mistrust of the medical system and because Black healthcare providers make up a tiny portion of the mental health provider workforce. In spite of these barriers, nearly 5 million Black Americans are living with a mental illness. It is crucial to continue raising awareness and fostering open discussions about mental health to reduce stigma and create supportive environments for minoritized people who need them most.
Minority Mental Health Month is an ideal time to reflect on the intricate, nuanced experiences that contribute to generational trauma and injustice and to speak openly about how mental health is intertwined with a community’s historical and economic conditions. All people – especially children – deserve to feel cared for and emotionally protected in a context that makes cultural sense to them. At Maryvale, we approach mental health services with a young person’s community, family, and cultural background in mind. We prioritize mental health care with cultural relevance, empathy, and sensitive attention for the marginalized, minority children we care for. Learn more about our community-centric approach to mental health.
