Responsibility for this lies outside the remit of public health, and relies on societal systems that engender the socioeconomic and cultural conditions that promote mental health and well‐being in a population. The advantages of this prevention are evident in terms of improving quality of life, social functioning and workforce participation, and reducing suicides. In many contexts this could be achieved by better routine recording of mental health data and the use of harmonized data management platforms that harness technological advances in data security and linkage with clinical and population health data, of which some examples already exist463. Finally, all methods of population mental health monitoring will suffer to a greater or lesser extent from unrepresentative sampling, whether due to biases in case detection or help‐seeking. In England, for example, while the National Health System collects routine mental health service contact data for planning purposes, it is difficult to obtain reliable estimates of incidence and prevalence from help‐seeking samples that often lack validated assessment data about psychopathology. Recent reviews have highlighted the evidence gap in incidence and prevalence estimates of psychiatric disorders between HIC and LMIC settings462.
Effective Community Resources and Initiatives
Community programs play a pivotal role in enhancing access to mental health care, particularly for underserved populations. Telehealth has proven vital, especially in rural areas where mental health providers are scarce, facilitating timely access to mental health care. Recent developments in mental health care highlight innovative strategies to address disparities, particularly for marginalized groups. This stigma, compounded by a historical mistrust of the healthcare system—rooted in systemic racism and discrimination—serves to discourage individuals from accessing necessary services. Like other minority groups, including the LGBT community, questioning and queer people are often misunderstood, overlooked, and underrepresented in the health care system and societal institutions (e.g., media).
Community of Hearts Legal Access & Community Justice VISTA
For women with limited resources of income, time and agency, the barriers to access are, too often, insurmountable. This includes understanding the impact of systemic oppression, discrimination, and social determinants of health. The authors again note that cultural matching is a critical way to improve the cultural sensitivity of services, which can help increase treatment attendance and retention. People from some historically marginalized populations can experience increased consequences from these stigmas combined with other social adversities, such as poverty and discrimination. They also more regularly perceived Black people as less likely to take medications and participate during treatment.
- Other researchers looked at how culture affects the mental health care outcomes of older people of color in 2022.
- Asian Mental Health Project aims to educate and empower Asian communities in seeking mental healthcare.
- South Asian Mental Health Alliance is a new non-profit community network engaging, educating and mobilizing the BC South Asian community around issues related to mental health.
- The Perspectives on Religion and Spirituality in coping with Mental health (PRiSM) project, aims to…
~ Local mental health workshops and outreach programs ~ Community health centers offering free or sliding-scale services Community-based programs reduce stigma and bring services closer to where people live and feel safe. Culturally competent care improves Latino behavioral health challenges conference patient outcomes by making individuals feel respected and understood.
In fact, although it has been more than 30 years since the American Psychiatric Association (APA) removed homosexuality as a diagnosis in the DSM and recognized it as a normal variant of human sexuality, today “reparative” or “conversion” therapies are still suggested by some mental health professionals (28, 29). LGBTQ+ individuals have been historically marginalized within society and may encounter a range of stressors such as prejudice, discrimination, and stigma. For this reason, The African Ancestry Genomic Psychiatry Cohort is already supporting a large expansion of the Genomic Psychiatric Cohort (GPC) network of individuals of African ancestry (21). However, larger and more inclusive GWASs are necessary to ensure that advances in genomic medicine, including improved risk prediction, benefit all of humanity (20). For instance, individuals of African and Latin American ancestry and native or indigenous peoples represent less than 4% of the 35 million samples included in the Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) catalog (18). Despite the utilization of emergency services and inpatient facilities, they are less likely to receive regular outpatient care after discharge.
To that end, this Research Topic seeks to identify disparities and strengthen the evidence base to provide creative global mental health and psychosocial interventions for marginalized groups in the context of COVID, as well as sharpen a future policy and research agenda so we are better prepared to address mental health in the context of future pandemics. All communities at the margins need access to those that understand their issues and can provide the space, time, and resources that will help create lasting, positive mental health. It is no secret that mental illness is extremely stigmatized and mental healthcare is often inaccessible—and yet, mental health holds significant weight in our daily lives and society.
But those who do develop mental health symptoms often have a hard time obtaining an accurate diagnosis, or finding treatment services that are both available and appropriate. S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that only 31 percent of Blacks and Hispanics and 22 percent of Asians had received proper treatment for their mental health conditions, as opposed to 48 percent of whites. Unfortunately, society’s attempts to come to terms with that marginalization and exclusion are not bearing fruit in the mental healthcare sector. Good quality mental healthcare is an essential element of wellness, regardless of what space someone occupies on the various spectrums of race, ethnicity, class, gender, or sexual identity. In conclusion, the mental health struggles of marginalized groups are not only a matter of individual affliction but are also reflective of broader social injustices. The mental health struggles of marginalized groups are deeply rooted in systems of oppression and social inequality.
