BE THE SOURCE FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH: IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES THROUGH OUR CULTURES, COMMUNITIES, AND CONNECTIONS
July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month! This annual observance raises awareness about the unique challenges that affect the mental health of racial and ethnic minority and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations.
This July, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) is focusing on improving mental health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities through its 2024 theme Be the Source for Better Health: Improving Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities, and Connections. This theme calls on each of us to better understand how the unique environments, cultures, histories, and circumstances (known as social determinants of health, or SDOH) of racial and ethnic minority and AI/AN populations impact their mental health.
Addressing Mental Health in Children and Adolescents
Many factors that can affect mental health and well-being later in life start during childhood and adolescence. Learn about the SDOH factors that can have lasting effects on racial and ethnic minority and AI/AN children and adolescents with our infographic: Be the Source for Better Mental Health for Racial and Ethnic Minority and AI/AN Children and Adolescents.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - Call. Text. Chat.
The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States. You can find resources specific to Tribal communities, Black communities, and LGBTQI+ communities.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Racial and ethnic minority and AI/AN populations experience numerous mental health disparities including higher rates of attempted suicide in adolescents and lower treatment rates for mental disorders like depression in adults.
Intersecting SDOH factors can have a profound impact on the mental health of racial and ethnic minority and AI/AN populations. Living through a natural disaster; experiencing financial hardship; limited access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services; and stigma surrounding mental health care are all examples of SDOH factors that can lead to poor mental health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority and AI/AN people.
OMH is committed to working with public health and community-based partners to Be the Source for Better Mental Health by providing racial and ethnic minority and AI/AN populations quality, equitable, and respectful mental health care services that are responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, economic and environmental circumstances, and health literacy levels. When patients are provided with culturally and linguistically appropriate information, they are better able to create healthier outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Get Involved in National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
Participate in conversations about racial and ethnic minority and AI/AN mental health on social media by tagging @MinorityHealth on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram and using the hashtags #SourceForBetterHealth and #NMMHAM.