July is National Minority Health Awareness Month
July was designated as Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in 2008 to shed light on the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face regarding mental illness in the US. Trilogy is dedicated to bringing awareness to the barriers BIPOC communities and others experience in getting mental health care and celebrate the role mental health professionals play.
Here are some important facts about BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ mental health in the US.
- African Americans are 20% more likely to report serious psychological distress than Caucasians.
- Native and Indigenous Americans report higher rates of PTSD than any other racial or ethnic group, and the highest rates of mental illness of any single racial/ethnic group.
- African Americans are diagnosed with schizophrenia more often, and with mood disorders less often when compared to Caucasian patients, when presenting the same symptoms.
- Asian-American adults are less likely than any other group to seek mental health care.
- Individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+ are more than 2x as likely as someone who does not to have a mental health disorder.
In addition to other mental health struggles and triggers, minority populations are more likely to experience racial trauma, generational trauma, microaggressions, and other race-related mental health struggles that are not often treated adequately, misdiagnosed, mistreated, or ignored.
Please remember that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We are proud to offer all employees’ access to free mental health resources through our partnership with Magellan.
