July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month! This month focuses on creating awareness and discussion about mental health in minority communities to increase their access to mental health care and treatment. This month also presents an opportunity to reflect on how the behavioral health system can connect more effectively with people across different cultural backgrounds and experiences.

Minorities have been facing disparities in healthcare and mental healthcare for decades. In the United States, minorities are more likely than whites to delay or never seek mental health treatment. After entering care, minority patients are less likely than whites to receive the best available treatments for depression and anxiety and will often terminate treatment prematurely. As mental health and healthcare professionals at Franciscan Children’s, we are dedicated to working towards equity in treatment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disparate impact on communities of color, including children. Minority racial/ethnic groups have had higher rates of cumulative infection and death than whites, exposing the long-term systemic bigotry and malign neglect inherent in our healthcare system. Furthermore, the impact of the economic crisis in conjunction with the killing of George Floyd and subsequent racial unrest has left communities of color shaken and in critical need of support.

We must recognize these disparities in minority populations in order to begin working towards a better future in serving them, their mental health needs, and creating thorough treatment plans that they deserve.