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Mental Health Among Minorities

A paper construction of a human head with gears where the brain is to represent mental health with a hand under it.

Taking care of physical health is important for everyone. However, when it comes to checking on our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, many of us do not seek help to make it better. Resistance can be seen among people for many reasons; however, people from minority communities tend not to seek assistance when it comes to mental health. Studies found evidence that proves people from minority population suffer the disparity in case of mental health. According to CDC, adults who were non-Hispanic white (24.4%) were more likely to have had mental health treatment than adult non-Hispanic black (15.3%), adult Hispanic (12.6%), and adult non-Hispanic Asian (7.7%) in the year 2020. The largest minority group in the country is made up of people with disabilities, and in 2018, 17.4 million (32.9%) adults with disabilities experienced emotional distress.
There are many reasons for the individuals, who belong to minority group, not asking for help for their mental health. When looking for efficient and accessible mental health care, people with disabilities sometimes face obstacles. Communication barriers, whether it is in-person or virtual, make it difficult to interact with a mental health professional or the lack of reliable transportation for a person with a mobility-related disability. Awareness plays a significant role if someone wants to get help for their mental health. Unfortunately, many people fail to realize that they need help with their emotional wellbeing, and even if they understand their need, lack of information of where they can get help also make it harder for them to get help. When I was in college, I had challenges with my mental health, and I was not aware of it for a long time. Nonetheless, when I realized, I was hesitant to get help because of stigma, which is another barrier when it comes to seeking help about mental health among the population from minority population. I can understand people not wanting to get help because of stigma as I belong to a minority community as well. Fortunately, I was able to get help through school, and got better. However, this does not happen in every case. Many individuals cannot ask for help because of lack of information about the available resources. Poverty, unemployment, and the cost of the treatment can be barriers as well, which can prevent people from getting the help they need to take care of their mental health. It is critical to recognize that asking for help with mental health is okay because it is just as vital as physical health.

The statistics were gathered from:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db419.htm

Mental Health Among Minorities
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