Addressing Racial Disparities in Minority Mental Health and Finding Support in 2025

National Minority Mental Health Month emphasizes the persistent mental health disparities among US racial and ethnic minorities, stemming from lower service use, lack of culturally competent providers, discrimination, and medical mistrust, underscoring the need for dedicated resources and community action. | Image Credit: Rabin - stock.adobe.com

National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month this July brings greater understanding to the unique challenges that racial and ethnic minorities in the US experience when it comes to mental illness.¹ This form of advocacy arrives only a few months after National Minority Health Month in April, where effective, equitable, and respectful care and services can aid diverse cultural health beliefs, languages, economic and environmental circumstances, and health literacy to close the health outcome gap for diverse racial and ethnic populations.²

Understanding Mental Health Disparities in Minority Populations

White adults (50%) report using mental health services more often than Black (39%) and Hispanic adults (36%).³ Both Asian (55%) and Black (46%) adult populations reported difficulty in finding a provider who understood their background and experiences, compared with their White counterparts (38%). Hispanic adults comprised the largest population reporting they did not receive mental health care, primarily because they did not know how to find a provider (24%) or because they were afraid or embarrassed to seek care (30%). Notably, individuals of a racial and ethnic minority who received mental health care encountered poor quality care, based on the Surgeon General’s landmark report on mental health.⁴

A lack of access to health insurance significantly affects mental health treatment access, impacting non-White individuals of color, who are more likely to be uninsured.⁵ The US has an extensive history of events that led to exclusionary policies, which continue to contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in the health care landscape.

The relationship between racial discrimination and worse health outcomes supports the theorization that racial discrimination can cause poorer health.⁶ Racial discrimination has been linked to physiological responses like dysregulated cortisol secretion, higher C-reactive protein, higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and augmented heart rate variability.

Researchers found multiple pieces of evidence that link racial discrimination with worse mental health across various study methods, social contexts, and racial/ethnic groups. For example, participants who experienced racial discrimination had a 3% higher probability of having a depressive disorder (95% CI, 0.01-0.04) compared with participants who did not. Geographic region (95% CI, 0.01-0.08) and access to health insurance (95% CI, −0.08 to −0.02) moderated the link between racial discrimination and the probability of a depressive disorder.

Notably, participants who experienced racial discrimination had a 2% higher probability of experiencing a substance use disorder (95% CI, 0.01-0.02) compared with participants who did not experience racial discrimination.

Further mental health disparities persist as racial and ethnic minority populations are often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, fostering medical mistrust. Historically, Black adults remain less likely to seek care, with the COVID-19 pandemic widening racial disparities in treatment utilization.⁷ Specifically, Black adults are more likely to be hesitant when seeking professional help for mental health problems. This hesitancy stems mainly from concerns surrounding racial discrimination in health care settings.

Medical mistrust is defined as the general suspicion or belief that an institution or individual provider will not meet agreed-upon expectations to provide optimal care for the patient. This likely drives the lack of participation among Black individuals in research. Due to the historical abuse of Black populations in these settings, the potential fear of being exploited or treated as “guinea pigs” rather than respected research participants is a considerable factor.²

Supporting Diverse Communities With Proper Resources

National Minority Mental Health Month is celebrated every July since 2008 to honor Bebe Moore Campbell, an author and advocate for minority mental health for Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities.⁸ Various mental health resources exist for marginalized communities, directed toward Jewish, Muslim, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian/Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Indigenous populations.⁹

• Jewish Family Service is one resource supporting the Jewish community that focuses on food security, housing stability, mental health counseling, aging care, employment support, refugee resettlement, and more.¹⁰ The nonprofit organization serves all faiths, races, ages, ethnicities, incomes, abilities, gender identities, and sexual orientations.
• Naseeha Muslim Helpline is an example of a resource that offers online therapy programs, educational initiatives, and helps patients navigate life challenges.¹¹ The website also includes resources regarding income-based assistance. Naseeha has a confidential helpline that offers support over the phone from 12:00 PM to 3:00 AM, 7 days a week.⁹
• Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM) operates as a collective of an international network of therapists, wellness practitioners, healing justice efforts, and grassroots wellness initiatives to transform and support the well-being and mental health of marginalized communities.¹² BEAM funds, organizes, and sponsors healing justice efforts while creating spaces for collective healing and crisis response.
• The National Latino Behavioral Health Association was developed to unify Latino populations and bring awareness to the disparities in areas of access, utilization, practice-based research, and adequately trained personnel.¹³ The association focuses on achieving behavioral health equity and provides new programs that respond to the diverse needs of the community in a culturally and linguistically appropriate way.
• Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum provides policy and political analysis, research, data support, and effective communications strategies to support Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to further influence local, state, and national policy.¹⁴ The forum provides grants, training, technical assistance, and consulting as a key source so communities can mobilize and grow stronger in their coalitions and organizational structures.
• The American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) National Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan offers a level of interconnected programming through health, education, law enforcement, public health, well-being, economic development, and physical and behavioral health to maximize the effectiveness of services and to protect individuals against suicide risk.¹⁵ The national initiative addresses suicide prevention across a collaboration of Tribes, Tribal organizations, Urban Indian organizations, and the Indian Health Service.⁹

The current list of national resources for mental health only mentions a few options, and additional generalized crisis and mental health condition resources exist, as do more detailed resources for various minority communities who may also have disabilities or identify with the LGBTQ+ population.

The 988 LGBTQ+ Suicide Hotline

The Trump administration's decisions shifted the national approach to diversity in health care, moving away from previous efforts toward inclusivity for race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.² These new policies heavily impacted the health and well-being of minority populations, extending beyond rollbacks in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to include stricter immigration policies and widespread hate speech and misinformation. Recent research demonstrated that these policies severely affected mental and physical health, while also straining resources, worsening health care disparities, and creating substantial financial burdens on the US health care system.

On June 18, the Trump administration announced it would eliminate funding for the youth service line aimed at LGBTQ+ individuals who called the national suicide hotline, 988.¹⁶ The Trevor Project received notice that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is initiating the closure of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, effective on July 17, 2025.¹⁷

“My fear is that LGBTQ+ young people will not see 988 as a resource for them. Witnessing a resource that was deemed as important taken away will reduce confidence and trust in 988 as a safe space,” Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), stated in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care^®.¹⁶

The theme for National Minority Mental Health Month 2025 is “turning awareness into action”, with the focus surrounding taking care of oneself and taking care of the community.¹⁸ Common suggestions for taking care of oneself as a minority include learning about minority health and engaging in spiritual practices. Additionally, activities like dance groups or exercise classes can free the body through movement while embracing cultural practices such as hair braiding, cooking, and storytelling. Oral traditions can be a way for minority populations to process trauma and preserve memory. Connecting with nature through gardening or spending time outside by trees or a body of water can offer another way to take care of mental health.

Other ways to take care of the community include education, especially on mental health and advocacy, to continue to share resources about the specific needs of minority groups. Community care can also involve sharing similar stories if there is a direct personal experience with mental illness and treatment. Overall, being an ally and supporting someone in a crisis, and actively showing up for them in support groups, peer support groups, or public initiatives, can promote minority mental health awareness.

Systemic racism, government policies, and socioeconomic gaps create a plethora of disparities among minority populations, but actively addressing these issues can lead to a better outcome for all. Despite potentially unknown future policies threatening further access, various grassroots approaches can be put into practice by oneself and amongst communities.

References

1. National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. FDA. February 2, 2024. Accessed July 15, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/knowledge-and-news-women-owh-blog/national-minority-mental-health-awareness-month
2. Santoro C. American advocacy and action for minority health in 2025. The American Journal of Managed Care^®. April 4, 2025. Accessed July 15, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/advocacy-and-action-for-minority-health-in-america
3. Panchal N, Hill L, Artiga S, Hamel L. Racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care: findings from the KFF survey of racism, discrimination and health. KFF. May 23, 2024. July 15, 2025. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/racial-and-ethnic-disparities-in-mental-health-care-findings-from-the-kff-survey-of-racism-discrimination-and-health/
4. Mental health inequities: racism and racial discrimination. NAMI. 2025. Accessed July 15, 2025. https://www.nami.org/advocacy/policy-priorities/supporting-community-inclusion-and-non-discrimination/mental-health-inequities-racism-and-racial-discrimination/
5. Ndugga N, Artiga S, Pillai D. Disparities in health and health care: 5 key questions and answers. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2024. Accessed July 15, 2025. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/disparities-in-health-and-health-care-5-key-question-and-answers/
6. Chen S, Mallory AB. The effect of racial discrimination on mental and physical health: a propensity score weighting approach. Soc Sci Med. 2021;285:114308. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114308
7. Pederson AB, McLaughlin C, Hawkins D, et al. Medical mistrust and willingness to use mental health services among a cohort of black adults. Psychiatric Services. Published online January 17, 2025. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.20240016
8. Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. NAMI. 2025. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/bebe-moore-campbell-national-minority-mental-health-awareness-month/
9. Mental health resources for marginalized communities. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://afsp.org/mental-health-resources-for-marginalized-communities/
10. Service F. Jewish Family Service. Jewish Family Service. 2025. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.jewishfamilyservice.org/services
11. Naseeha Mental Health. Naseeha. 2022. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.naseeha.org/
12. BEAM: Black emotional and mental health collective. BEAM. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://beam.community/
13. National Latino Behavioral Health Association. NLBHA. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://nlbha.org/about-us/about-us/
14. Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum. APIAHF. 2024. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.apiahf.org/about
15. Suicide Prevention. Indian Health Service (IHS). Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.ihs.gov/suicideprevention/
16. Bonavitacola J. Elimination of specialists for National Suicide Hotline removes important resource for LGBTQ+ youth: A Q&A with Hannah Wesolowski. The American Journal of Managed Care^®. June 24, 2025. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/elimination-of-specialists-for-national-suicide-hotline-removes-important-resource-for-lgbtq-youth-a-q-a-with-hannah-wesolowski
17. Trump administration orders termination of National LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Lifeline, effective July 17th. The Trevor Project. June 18, 2025. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/trump-administration-orders-termination-of-national-lgbtq-youth-suicide-lifeline-effective-july-17th/
18. Whyte A. Minority mental health awareness month 2025. Bay Area Clinical Associates. July 2025. Accessed July 16, 2025. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://baca.org/blog/minority-mental-health-awareness-month-2025/