National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed each July to bring attention to the unique struggles racial and ethnic minority communities face with mental health.
QMG Behavioral Health Therapist Macy Ferguson-Smith shared, “It’s important to bring attention to minority mental health to highlight other mental health struggles we may not think about that are specific to certain populations. Folks within specific cultures or populations may have issues around mental health we need to be aware of to assist the patient on their journey toward healing.”
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Asian Americans are least likely to receive mental treatment — only 20 percent of Asian adults with a mental illness received treatment in 2020, compared to those in other racial/ethnic backgrounds. Only 37 percent of Black adults with mental illness receive treatment, compared to 35 percent of Hispanic/Latinx adults. The U.S. average number of people who receive help for a mental health condition is 46 percent.
Ferguson-Smith states that, for some, stigma around mental health continues to be a barrier to accessing care.
“We should empathize with these individuals. Even trying to understand more about where that stigma may have been birthed to try and reach those populations who may believe negative things about accessing mental health care. I wish those who still have stigma around mental health could envision the therapeutic relationship as a natural addition to their overall health and well-being,” she said.
Minority Mental Health Month offers us an opportunity to discuss our mental health and the stigma around it. For more resources, visit https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/minority-mental-health/. For information on Behavioral Health services at Quincy Medical Group (QMG), visit https://quincymedgroup.com/medical-services/behavioral-health/.