Racism and Mental Health

Jun 28

By Victoria Wehjla, Behavioral Health Specialist & Molly Hedrick, PhD, Psychologist & Team Lead

Last month we celebrated Juneteenth: a remembrance of the lasting impact of slavery and a celebration of culture and freedom.

In July, we celebrate BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month. As we move between these two events, we should remember that they are connected:

The legacy of slavery (and of colonialism) means that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) Americans continue to experience inequity in mental health care.

More than six million African Americans live with mental illness. For indigenous people the figure is close to 1 in 4. But access to care, especially culturally-appropriate care, is a huge issue. Whereas just over half of white Americans with any mental illness receive treatment, only 39.4% of Black Americans do, and 36.1% of Hispanics. Over the past three decades, self-reported suicide attempts rose 80% among Black adolescents, but didn’t change significantly in other populations. Research shows that symptoms of mental illness tend to be more persistent for Black and Hispanic people.

Statistics like this show that in mental health care we should strive to address the ongoing impact of slavery, segregation and discrimination. Poorer mental health outcomes for BIPOC populations are often caused by social determinants of health, for many of the families we treat, a struggle to meet their basic needs has a huge impact on everyone’s mental health. Systemic racism also affects diagnoses and outcomes. The Black Lives Matter movement showed beyond doubt that racism is a public health issue, for physical and mental health.

In our Bradley REACH programs, we serve teens with a variety of presenting diagnoses from diverse backgrounds. We are committed to expanding access to quality care for all adolescents, and to partnering with organizations that make this possible. Our philosophy matches treatment to meet the dynamic needs of individuals in their families and communities. We acknowledge the influence of experiences with racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, as well as mental health stigma. We view symptoms as a way to adapt and communicate in often complicated external environments. We know that to create healthy youth and healthy societies we must address racism on individual, relational and societal levels.

As we do on Juneteenth, BIPOC Mental Health Month should also be about embracing everything that’s positive and strong in BIPOC cultures. Acknowledging our complex histories and helping teens integrate cultural and personal histories in how they see themselves and others is an essential part of how we develop healthy identities.

MEET THE AUTHORS: