10 Resources to Support BIYOC during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Holistic interventions that affirm SGMY identities and cultivate a sense of community, may mitigate these risks 41,42. SGMY risk factors are further increased in female-identified SGMY, as they have higher rates of mental health concerns compared with male-identified SGMY, including depressive symptoms and suicidality at younger ages, suggesting earlier onset of co-occurring concerns 34-36. There is a particular lack of research with female-identified SGMY, who report higher rates of HIV-related risk behaviors than their male-SGMY and non-SGMY peers 28-37. In 2013, nearly 25% of the 2090 Canadians diagnosed with HIV were aged between 15 and 29 years, and 43% of those youth contracted HIV through same-sex exposure (compared with only 26% in 2004) 12,26,27.

Individuals from minoritized ethnic communities are generally less likely to use mental healthcare services than the majority white population. After 1990, there began a surge of interest in the field of racial/ethnic minority research, possibly related to the Surgeon General’s Report on racial/ethnic disparities in health and mental health care. Search terms included “race”, “ethnicity”, “minority”, “culture”, “children”, “youth”, “adolescents”, “mental health”, “psychopathology”, “diagnosis”, “misdiagnosis”, “miscategorization”, “underdiagnosis”, and “overdiagnosis”. Misdiagnoses of racial/ethnic minority youth’s mental health problems can potentially contribute to inappropriate mental health care. It is important, therefore, that we understand primary care physicians’ experiences working with racial/ethnic minority families and their perceptions of barriers and facilitators for effective management of minority adolescents’ mental health problems.

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Mental health distress by peer… We discuss the implications of the results for practice with young SMM of color with mental health distress. Peer social support did not moderate the association between sexual orientation discrimination and either depression or anxiety.

BLACK GIRLS SMILE

• Notably, underinvestment in Black neighborhoods has resulted in fewer hospitals and under-resourced facilities, influencing access to mental health services.
• By working together, we can create a future where quality mental health care is accessible to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background.
• In the psychology meta-narrative, the individual is the key object of study with the central aim to affect cognitive/behaviour change for individual LGBTQ+ ​youth.
• The promotion of mental wellness may be beneficial for Black adolescents.

Pakistani children had significantly more externalizing problems than white children at ages 3, 5, and 7. Black Caribbean children had significantly more externalizing problems than white children at ages 3, 5, 7, and 11. Black African children had significantly more internalizing problems than white children at age 5.

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Mental healthcare providers may also lack awareness about cultural factors that tend https://www.safeproject.us/resource/latinx/ to shape the experiences and needs of individuals from minoritized ethnic groups, undermining the patients’ trust in the provider. Discrimination by healthcare providers in the form of microaggressions or stereotyping can reduce adherence to treatment and lead to the discontinuation of treatment. Diagnosed mental disorders require sustained treatment, and the healthcare provider-patient relationship plays a critical role in determining treatment success. Residential segregation has also affected Latino communities, and individuals residing predominantly in these communities tend to have limited access to specialty mental health professionals.

By taking care of yourself, you can better show up for others and be a positive force for change. Engage in activities that make you feel good and support your overall well-being. Take the time to prioritize your own mental health and encourage others to do the same.