Systematic Racial Disparities Within Mental Health

Mental health care is a complex issue, and people from different backgrounds experience it in different ways. Racism and other institutional biases play an important role in people’s mental health outcomes, but they are not the only factor. Even if someone isn’t experiencing overt racism, they might still be at risk of poor mental health care due to systemic inequalities that have been built into healthcare systems throughout history and continue today.

For example, one study shows that 31% of white children with mental health issues receive the services they need while 13% of youth from diverse and ethnic backgrounds receive mental health help. These disparities continue into adulthood. Statistics show that 8.7% of Black adults acquire mental health services while 16% of their white counterparts receive help.

Out of the entire population in the United States, 13% identify as African American or Black. Of those individuals, 16% reported having a mental illness in the past year. That is over seven million people; more than the population of Houston, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

Inequalities in Mental Health

Racial disparities in mental health care are a serious problem, and they’re not going away anytime soon. When individuals factor in the fact that Black Americans are less likely to seek mental health services than white people, it’s clear that racial issues with regard to mental health care go beyond problems of access. It’s also important to note that many studies have shown racial disparities at each step of the mental health process: diagnosis, treatment options, and outcomes.

The issue isn’t limited to the United States either; as one study showed, “Racism is widespread across Europe.” The authors concluded that “prejudice against Black people” was associated with higher levels of anxiety among white Europeans after reading about negative stereotypes associated with blacks. Perhaps most shocking is that these stereotypes were found in countries where such overt discrimination isn’t allowed by law or social norms — they were even present within countries like Sweden, which prides itself on being one of the most tolerant nations in Europe.

Systematic Racism

Racism is a system of inequality, oppression, and discrimination which benefits the dominant group at the expense of racialized groups. This occurs through the use of systemic racism.

Systemic racism is often invisible and manifests itself in policies, procedures, and practices that appear neutral on their face but have a disproportionately negative impact on racialized communities. For example, if someone is a Black person who lives in Alberta what would their chances be if they applied for government-funded childcare? In this case, it might be difficult for someone to see how their application was denied because they are not aware that only subsidized spaces go to Indigenous people or Metis families who live on reserve land – even though most Aboriginal families do not.

One way society can combat systemic racism is by examining one’s own thoughts about other cultures or races with an open mind instead of accepting stereotypes as fact without any investigation into why these ideas exist and what effect they may have on others’ lives.

Well-Documented Deep Historic Roots of Inequality in the Mental Health Care

Mental health is a complex issue, and racial disparities in mental health care are an obvious and well-documented problem of deep historical roots.

While the problem of racial inequalities in mental health care is pervasive and far-reaching, it’s not just an American problem. This inequality occurs nearly everywhere; from Canada to Europe to Australia — and throughout the world more generally — racial discrimination within healthcare facilities mirrors that of the U.S. The same can be said for other forms of discrimination against ethnic minorities: such discrepancies exist across the globe.

In fact, there’s even evidence indicating that these issues are present before individuals even enter into contact with psychiatric institutions: when they’re still young children.

Mental health is an important issue that deserves more attention. People of color generally benefit less from mental health treatment than their white counterparts, and these disparities are often overlooked. However, there are steps we can take to reduce the stigma around mental illness and create a more balanced system for all people facing mental health issues.

Systematic Racial Disparities Isn’t Just in Mental Health Care

“Systematic racial disparities in the healthcare system” is a phrase that has become common in recent years. While it might seem obvious, these disparities aren’t necessarily caused by discriminatory intent — they are the result of unconscious biases and systematic inequalities that have been built into our society. These types of racism are called systematic because they are embedded in the structure of our institutions and not just individual attitudes or actions carried out by individuals or groups within those institutions.

In healthcare, there is ample evidence showing how people of color face poorer quality care than white patients, even when they have the same insurance coverage and socioeconomic status as their white counterparts. There are many factors at work here, but one important one is that while there may be laws protecting against discrimination based on race or ethnicity (and other protected classes), there aren’t any laws meant specifically to address racial bias within health care settings — which means there’s no way for anyone being discriminated against to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions!

Similarly, this kind of systemic racism appears throughout the criminal justice system: studies show Black men with low incomes receive longer sentences than white men who commit similar crimes; Black children get arrested more often than white children; police officers tend to shoot unarmed Black suspects more often than unarmed white suspects; young Black men from poor inner cities are more likely than young white suburbanites to end up behind bars — the list goes on and on.

Written by Sheena Robertson

Sources:

Counseling Today: The historical roots of racial disparities in the mental health system
American Psychiatric Association: Mental Health Disparities: Diverse Populations
CDC: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Prevalence of Stress and Worry, Mental Health Conditions, and Increased Substance Use Among Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, April and May 2020
The Sentencing Project: The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons
Mental Health America: Black and African American Communities and Mental Health

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