BIPOC Mental Health
July marks an important mental health observance – BIPOC Mental Health Month, also known as the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health conditions do not discriminate, but cultural and systemic racism can impact a person’s well-being and present challenges to accessing care. The goal of this month is to bring understanding to the mental health needs of communities of color in the U.S.
Some mental health facts about Indigenous, Latinx, Black & African American, and Asian American & Pacific Islander communities:
Indigenous Americans have suicide rates 1.7 times higher than the national average, according to the INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES.
56.8 percent of Latinx youth with serious mental illness did NOT receive treatment for their condition, finds SAMHSA.
More than 25% of Black youth who have been exposed to violence have proven to be at high risk for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), REPORTS THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.
More than 2.9 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the US report having mental illness, but are the least likely group to seek help for their mental health, finds MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA.
Some states report suicide rates may have risen among communities of color since the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, even though the number of suicides in the U.S. declined overall, as the NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED in April.
Glaring disparities prevent people of color from getting the mental health care they need – from limited affordable care options, lack of culturally competent mental health providers, discrimination and misinformation about mental health, to (this is important cultural context) a long history of healthcare systems violating the human rights of people of color.
Join Call to Mind to increase mental health awareness in BIPOC communities and change the conversation about mental health.
If you are hurting, make July the month you find a mental health resource that works for you: Mental Health Resources for Underrepresented Communities.
Read more about the implementation of the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.
Download Mental Health America’s BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month Toolkit.
Learn more about the National Institute of Health’s “ALL OF US” research program to build one of the largest and most diverse health research databases in the world at JOINALLOFUS.org.
Learn more about mental health issues unique to communities of color from past Call to Mind programs:
NOTE READERS: The language we use can influence the way people think and can make people feel othered. Call to Mind is making a conscious effort to not use the word “minority” in our reporting as it may communicate that Indigenous, Latinx, Black & African American, and Asian American & Pacific Islander communities are groups with less power than the “majority” or establish cultural groups as a quantity instead of a community. As our language about race and culture continues to evolve, we currently use BIPOC across our platforms.