Making mental health a priority is important for everyone, no matter your skin color, religious beliefs, ethnicity, physical or intellectual abilities.
Mental health is emotional, psychological, and social. It impacts how we handle stress, feel, think, and make decisions.
Mental health can be influenced by everything from where you live, your family/home dynamic, and society as a whole. If you feel like you don’t fit in, whether at home, school, work, or in the community, your mental health could take a big hit.
So how do we make changes?
The saying “it takes a village” definitely applies here. Helping everyone feel connected to their community requires everyone’s participation:
Medical Professionals
Medical professionals can take a patient’s cultural background into consideration. Some cultures may talk more about their physical symptoms that are impacted by mental health instead of talking about their feelings, for example.
Additionally, they can:
- Look for ways to ease language barriers, either by bringing in a translator or using a translating option on a smart device.
- Focus on the person inside and provide care for them that way, not based on their skin color.
- Advocate for yourself. If you feel your health concerns are being dismissed, request a different provider.
Community Members
- Bring people together through community care: a neighborhood block party, picnic, social gathering. Getting to know who’s living around you could help you find common ground and help each other through struggles.
- Educate yourself. Make an effort to learn more about the different cultures who live in your community. Find out what they celebrate, believe, what they may struggle with, and how you can be of assistance.
Specialized Needs for Minorities
Many minorities face race-based discrimination. If this is you, look for a multicultural or racial trauma-informed therapist. These professionals will help you address the trauma and work on ways to find healing and likely have similar experiences or deeper understanding of the issue.