Mental health matters! Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Mental health is just as important as physical health throughout our lives. According to the CDC, mental health issues are common – more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness. Mental health issues are treatable and often preventable, but not everyone has access to the resources they need. People in some racial and ethnic minority groups face more challenges than others in getting mental health care.
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed each July to bring awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental illness in the United States. Racial and ethnic minorities often suffer from poor mental health outcomes due to the cultural stigma and lack of access to mental health care services.
“Some of the challenges individuals in the Latino community face when seeking mental health care are the language barrier, fear of discrimination, high cost, lack of health insurance, and the stigma and misinformation around utilizing and seeking help within the Latino community,” says Andrea Cantero, a psychiatric social worker at Kaiser Permanente in Corona.
Everyone benefits when people from racial and ethnic minority groups can thrive. We all have a role to play in promoting health equity.
There are some effective strategies and/or interventions that have been found to be successful in promoting mental health and well-being among minority populations. “Giving people the opportunity to talk openly and freely around stigma and misinformation within the community and providing psychoeducation about mental health and normalization/validation of their feelings. I like to be open about my own journey as a Latina immigrant and the importance of seeking help,” adds Cantero.
What can we do to support and advocate for minority mental health during and beyond Minority Mental Health Awareness Month? We can show compassion and kindness even if we don’t fully understand. We can provide people with a platform to talk freely and openly about how they feel. Get curious about your own mental health and reach out for help if you are struggling with any disorder. You may find the care experience to change your life for the better.