“While everyone – all colors – everyone is affected by stigma – no one wants to say ‘I’m not in control of my mind.’ No one wants to say, ‘The person I love is not in control of [their] mind.’ But people of color really don’t want to say it because we already feel stigmatized by virtue of skin color or eye shape or accent and we don’t want any more reasons for anyone to say, ‘You’re not good enough.’”
–Bebe Moore Campbell
Introduction
As an AmeriCorps member in the Department of Social Work and Community Health at RUSH hospital, I help connect patients to various resources through the Social Determinants of Health Screener. Over the course of this experience, I have observed that the Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities are more likely to experience unmet social needs, which can act as a stressor and negatively impact their mental health. Moreover, individuals with unmet social needs may also have limited access to mental health resources. Every July, Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month or BIPOC Mental Health Month shines light on the mental health strengths and challenges the BIPOC communities face.
Dismantling Mental Health Inequity
Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is named to honor Bebe More Campbell, a teacher, journalist, author, and mental health advocate who fought to have adequate mental healthcare for her daughter. Access to quality mental healthcare remains a challenge, even in Chicago. The healthcare system can be a direct reflection of oppressive policies that are established in BIPOC communities like housing policies (redlining), disinvestment in highly populated BIPOC communities, and employment policies (retirement and unemployment benefits being excluded from agricultural and domestic workers). As a result, disinvestment can lead to little or no access to mental health resources in certain neighborhoods while reduced unemployment benefits can leave individuals unable to afford healthcare.
The review article Understanding How Discrimination Can Affect Health, found that beyond these structural barriers, higher levels of psychological distress, depression, anxiety symptoms, and meeting the criteria for mental health disorders were associated with racial discrimination. Additionally, the review found that racial discrimination is linked to an increase in unhealthy coping behaviors including alcohol use and sleep disturbance, which could further compromise health. Despite the impact of racial discrimination on the mental health of BIPOC individuals, many continue to face barriers to accessing the mental health care they need to support themselves.
Limited BIPOC representation in mental healthcare spaces and limited access to culturally competent mental health providers are some barriers BIPOC communities face when needing mental health resources. Untreated mental health conditions can adversely affect one’s physical health and vice versa. Closing the gap between these barriers and expanding access to culturally competent care can help BIPOC individuals obtain the resources and support needed to improve both their mental and physical health. The Legacy Mental Health Fellowship program, housed in the Social Work and Community Health department at Rush, addresses this gap by preparing the next generation of clinicians of color to provide culturally informed mental health services and promote community wellness on Chicago’s West Side.
In 2003, Bebe Campbell founded the National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI-Inglewood in a predominantly Black neighborhood to create a space that was safe for Black people to talk about their mental health concerns. Safe spaces allow people to be their authentic selves and process trauma free from judgment, discrimination, and harm. Safe spaces are important for the BIPOC communities to have because of the stigma and shame that may come with talking about mental health. As a result, BIPOC individuals have a space to heal, learn, and grow from the challenges they experienced. This opens an opportunity for people to build trust and change the stigma behind people’s perspectives on mental healthcare.
BIPOC Resilience, Accessibility, and Community
On June 2, 2008, Congress established Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to be recognized in July. This month promotes continued efforts towards access to equitable mental health care, ending stigmas around mental healthcare, and highlights the progress that has been made towards culturally responsive mental health care. A systematic review, Community Interventions to Promote Mental Health and Social Equity, shares a few ideas that focus on achieving mental health equity: Supporting a structurally competent and diverse workforce while increasing opportunities for people from different backgrounds. Engaging local communities by providing more community-based healthcare services through integrated care, and where the social determinants of health can be addressed. As a result, care can become more accessible in underserved areas, which helps close the gap in mental health disparities. Here are some websites that offer trusted mental health resources and services:
- Department of Cook County Public Health: Mental Health Campaign called ” Here to Hear You” in partnership with NAMI Chicago. The focus of this campaign is to help residents gain confidence and thrive in their mental health journey through removing stigma around mental health care. Individuals can engage in mental health, substance use resources, research reports, and more resources to learn more about how to thrive in their own wellness journey.
- Chicago Public Library: Mental Health Awareness Month Resources shares mental health crisis lines, culturally centered services, books, and organizations for people to engage in and celebrate BIPOC Mental Health Month.
- Mental Health Coalition is devoted to advocating for the mental health needs in BIPOC communities. For BIPOC Mental Health Month, they share mental health organizations, resources, and affordable services that support the diverse needs of BIPOC communities across different ages, cultures, and gender identities.
- Chicago Public Schools mental health page focuses on providing support for the well-being of their students and communities through mental health educational resources, maps that show nearby health clinics, accessible Medicaid enrollment assistance, presenting prevention-based policies to help students, and more resources geared toward students’ overall health!
Final Thoughts
As an AmeriCorps member, I assess patients’ social needs and interpersonal safety to determine how Rush hospital can best support them. Patients who express concerns about their social needs are given resources that cater toward their specific needs. Patients who are concerned about their safety are connected to mental health resources, including crisis hotlines and trusted mental health organizations and services. In addition, the Center for Health and Social Care Integration at Rush (CHaSCI) is dedicated to integrating health care and social care to improve patient outcomes and advance health equity. This center emphasizes the importance of advancing health equity to help reduce mental health disparities. Looking forward, there is hope for better mental health outcomes as BIPOC communities gain more access to health clinics with mental health resources, and as more culturally competent healthcare professionals and organizations help BIPOC communities build trust in the healthcare system.