July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed every July to recognize the unique challenges that racial and ethnic minorities in the United States face with mental illness. The month also aims to reduce stigma around mental illness and increase public awareness of mental health disorders in minority communities.
Mental health includes emotional, mental, and social well-being. Mental health impacts how a person thinks and feels. It also affects how you act, manage stress, and make choices. When you take care of your mental health, you are better able to cope with stress or challenges.
You can contact Office of Minority Health (OMH) is to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will help eliminate health disparities. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/national-minority-mental-health-awareness-month-2024-toolkit
#mentalhealth #postpartumdepression #depression #womendepression
Information from American Psychiatric Association:
- Ethnic/racial minorities often bear a disproportionately high burden of disability resulting from mental disorders.
- Although rates of depression are lower in blacks (24.6%) and Hispanics (19.6%) than in whites (34.7%), depression in blacks and Hispanics is likely to be more persistent. 6 psychiatry.org US Population: Race/Ethnicity US Population, 2016 Hispanic 17.8% White 61.3% NH/OPI 0.2% Black 13.3% Asian 5.7% AI/AN 1.3% Source: US Census. Quick Facts: Population Estimates 2016. www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/professional-interests/disasterand-trauma (Notes: AI/AN – American Indian/Alaska Native, NH/OPI – Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander)
- 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 Indians/Alaskan Natives report higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence than any other ethic/ racial group.
- White Americans are more likely to die by suicide than people of other ethnic/racial groups.
- Mental health problems are common among people in the criminal justice system, which has a disproportionate representation of racial/ ethnic minorities. Approximately 50% to 75% of youth in the juvenile justice system meet criteria for a mental health disorder.
- 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.
#mentalhealth #postpartumdepression #depression #womendepression
