Marginalized and underserved communities – including BIPOC, (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, and refugee and immigrant groups – often face barriers to receiving health care. It’s more important than ever to make mental health treatment accessible to all. The facts and resources we’ve gathered below help bring awareness to the barriers that minority groups face and provide information for those seeking support.
Compared with people who are white, BIPOC are:
• Less likely to have access to mental health services
• Less likely to seek out services
• Less likely to receive needed care
• More likely to receive poor quality of care
• More likely to end services prematurely
Facts
- People from racial/ethnic minority groups are less likely to receive mental health care. For example, in 2015, among adults with any mental illness, 48% of whites received mental health services, compared with 31% of blacks and Hispanics, and 22% of Asians. American Psychiatric Association
- Lack of cultural understanding by health care providers may contribute to underdiagnosis and/or misdiagnosis of mental illness in people from racially/ethnically diverse populations. Factors include language differences between patient and provider, stigma of mental illness among minority groups, and cultural presentation of symptoms. American Psychiatric Association
- Mental health problems are common among people in the criminal justice system, which has a disproportionate representation of racial/ ethnic minorities. Between 65% and 70% of the 2 million children and adolescents arrested in the United States have a mental health disorder. American Psychiatric Association
- In 2020, 21% of US adults (52.9 million or 1 in 5 adults) experienced a mental illness. The rate was higher among people of two or more races with non-Hispanic mixed/multiracial at 35.8%, and members of the LGBTQ+ community at 47.4%. National Alliance on Mental Illness
- People who identify as being two or more races (24.9%) are most likely to report any mental illness within the past year than any other race/ethnic group, followed by American Indian/Alaska Natives (22.7%), white (19%), and black (16.8%). American Psychiatric Association
- According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), symptoms of depression were reported 59% more frequently by Hispanic adults (40.3%) than non-Hispanic White adults (25.3%) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental Health First Aid
Resources
Minorities and Mental Health Facebook Live Series
Sheppard Pratt is partnered with Radio One Baltimore to host "Minorities and Mental Health," a Facebook Live series featuring expert discussions on mental health in the Black community. Watch here:
More Information
- BIPOC Mental Health Information by Mental Health America
- NAMI Information on Diverse Communities – Black/African American
- NAMI Information on Diverse Communities – Latinx/Hispanic
- NAMI Information on Diverse Communities – LGBTIQ+
- Resource Directory for the Black OCD Community, by the International OCD Foundation
Infographics
LGBTQIA+
Black & African Americans
American Indians and Alaska Natives
Hispanic and Latinos
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Culturally Competent Counseling at Sheppard Pratt
Sheppard Pratt offers culturally competent counseling and mental health care for those in need. If you need help addressing mental health or substance use problems, learn more about our online counseling and teletherapy options, complete with translation services in multiple languages.