Connection to mental healthcare shouldn’t depend on race

We live in stressful times: Inflation, crime, soaring housing costs, an entrenched affordability crisis and the tailwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic are just a few things rattling New Yorkers. It’s no wonder our mental health is crumbling.

Rates of anxiety, depression, and children’s behavioral health all increased after the start of the pandemic, and nearly one New Yorker in four experiences a mental health disorder in any given year.

Our young people are also struggling. The number of public high school students who reported feeling sad or hopeless increased from 27% to 38% over the past decade, according to the city’s first-ever mental health report, released in May.

Despite an uptick in people seeking therapy, data shows communities of color are disproportionately affected here in New York City: Black, Latino, and Asian American and Pacific Islander New Yorkers are all less likely to be connected to mental healthcare than their white counterparts, resulting in glaring inequities in care.

In the wake of July having served as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, now is a key time to raise awareness about these and other challenges that BIPOC communities face when it comes to mental illness. These discrepancies have grown and metastasized over time: Systemic racism, discrimination, and economic inequality compound with the social stressors being felt by all New Yorkers to create a toxic environment that has a deep impact on mental well-being.

To make matters more concerning, there is a stark geographical divide when it comes to access to mental healthcare.

Residents in neighborhoods like the Northeast Bronx, Kingsbridge, and Borough Park all lag significantly behind their more affluent counterparts in receiving treatment. These and other communities may also have limited access to culturally competent care, where providers understand their specific needs and backgrounds. The stigma about mental illness can be even stronger in certain cultures, further discouraging individuals from seeking help.

Acknowledging the mental health struggles of communities of color is a crucial first step and can serve as a valuable springboard for conversations about how to both reduce the stressors at the core of the mental health crisis and ensure equitable access to mental healthcare for all. For starters, BIPOC communities need increased access to basic resources, including health programs, efficient and accessible community infrastructure, Wi-Fi, and healthy food.

Our communities also need more culturally responsive social services and providers. Experts have said people are more likely to seek help from providers who look like them or come from similar backgrounds. Only 4% of therapists are Black in the U.S., and few of them are men.

Solving the problem in its entirety may sound like an overwhelmingly large mission, but something each of us could do right now is work to strengthen our community by building bonds in our neighborhoods. We all lead busy lives, but we’d be stronger if we joined community organizations; created local initiatives; volunteered with local organizations; or attended local events like festivals, fairs, and community gatherings.

This sense of community involvement helps strengthen bonds between friends, neighbors, and local leaders, giving us valuable opportunities to determine common issues, concerns, and ways to better serve the community. Areas of common need and interest could provide an opportunity to unite and act for change.

Above all, getting involved in the community is a valuable way to listen, have open conversations, learn from others, and chart a roadmap for how to prioritize well-being, diversify mental health services, and broaden community access.

These disparities in access to mental healthcare don’t only harm those who aren’t receiving help, but our city as a whole.

We can’t expect to solve these problems immediately, even during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, but we can put them in the spotlight for discussion, raise awareness, and keep working toward building a more equitable future.

Jane Warren is director of behavior health services for RiverSpring Health Plans.

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