April is National Minority Health Month. This observance has its roots in Booker T. Washington’s efforts to raise awareness about poor living and working conditions he saw in black communities over a hundred years ago. Today, his work continues, in efforts to address health disparities among minorities. One area where health disparities persist is in mental health. At Palms Behavioral Health, in Harlingen, Texas, our team is dedicated to ensuring that our patients receive individualized care that is compassionate, evidence-based, and sensitive to their specific needs.
What Are Health Disparities?
Health disparities refer to unequal health outcomes among different groups due to systemic inequalities in society. These disparities are evident in medical care, mental health treatment, and substance misuse recovery. Several factors contribute to these inequalities, affecting access to quality care and overall mental health outcomes.
One significant factor is racism and discrimination, which can include bias and stereotyping, which can lead to inaccurate diagnoses and ineffective treatment. For example, ethnic minorities may be underdiagnosed and under-treated for affective disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. At the same time, they are more frequently overdiagnosed and overtreated for psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Additionally, innovative and comprehensive treatment options are often less available to minority populations.
Another major issue is the lack of insurance coverage. Despite the Affordable Care Act expanding access, around 28 million Americans remain uninsured. Among them, Black individuals are 1.5 times more likely than white individuals to be uninsured, Hispanic individuals are 2.5 times more likely, and American Indian/Alaska Native individuals are nearly three times more likely to lack coverage.
The lack of diversity among mental health providers also contributes to disparities. In the United States, 86% of psychologists are white, while only 5% are Asian, 5% Hispanic, 4% Black, and 1% multiracial or other. This lack of representation can make it difficult for minority patients to find culturally competent care.
Other barriers to equitable mental health care include:
- Limited cultural competency among medical and mental health professionals
- Health illiteracy, making it harder for individuals to navigate the healthcare system
- High levels of stigma surrounding mental illness in many communities
- Greater exposure to trauma, often linked to poverty, which can include higher incarceration rates among people of color, overrepresentation in the child welfare system, limited access to safe and affordable housing, and experiences of bullying and race-based violence
- Language barriers preventing effective communication with providers
- Research biases, as many studies disproportionately focus on white patients, leading to gaps in understanding diverse populations’ mental health needs
Addressing these disparities requires systemic change, greater cultural competency in healthcare, and improved access to equitable treatment options.
Results of Mental Health Treatment Disparities
Despite the publication of a 2003 study that brought clinical and policy attention to the mental health disparities for ethnic minorities in the United States, as well as an increase in overall spending on mental health in our country, there is still a wide gap between the mental health services provided to white people, versus other ethnic groups. The statistics associated with mental health disparities make it difficult to ignore the significance of this problem:
Among adults with mental illness, from 2008-2012, treatment was provided to 46.3 percent of white adults, 41.6 percent of Indigenous adults, 30 percent of black adults, and 27 percent of Hispanic adults.
Further Negative Outcomes from Inadequate Mental Health Care
Insufficient access to community-based mental health treatment can lead to:
- Increased use of emergency services
- More involuntary hospitalizations
- Law enforcement interventions to facilitate needed care
- Overuse of antipsychotic medications.
This isn’t the ideal way for a person to engage with mental health services and may leave the patient feeling distrust and anger toward the mental health profession in general, fueling further disinterest in getting help voluntarily in the future and hiding symptoms to avoid further involuntary hospitalizations. Inadequate mental health care can lead to increased risk for preventable, life-threatening health conditions, such as:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Pulmonary disease
- Stroke
As a result of higher rates of these and other serious medical conditions, people with serious mental illnesses often die 11-32 years earlier than people without mental health disorders. Early and effective treatment can reduce this disparity, however. Addressing stigma and systemic issues that prevent minority individuals from getting care is an important part of making this happen.
At Palms Behavioral Health, we provide inpatient and outpatient treatment for adolescents, adults, and older adults who are struggling with their mental health. Our team, which includes professionals with diverse ethnic backgrounds, works with patients, to build rapport and trust. We are trained to deliver trauma-informed, evidence-based care, that is individualized to meet the needs of each patient we serve.
