Office of Minority Health

Background

During National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in July, the HHS Office of Minority Health will join partners at the federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels to help raise awareness about mental illness and its effects on racial and ethnic minority populations. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):

• Over 70% of Black/African American adolescents with a major depressive episode did not receive treatment for their condition.
• Almost 25% of adolescents with a major depressive episode in the last year were Hispanic/Latino.
• Asian American adults were less likely to use mental health services than any other racial/ethnic groups.
• In the past year, nearly 1 in 10 American Indian or Alaska Native young adults had serious thoughts of suicide.
• In the past year, 1 in 7 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults had a diagnosable mental illness.

Despite advances in health equity, disparities in mental health care persist. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reports that racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. are less likely to have access to mental health services, less likely to use community mental health services, more likely to use emergency departments, and more likely to receive lower quality care. Poor mental health care access and quality contribute to poor mental health outcomes, including suicide, among racial and ethnic minority populations.

The HHS Office of Minority Health encourages all our partners to educate their community about the importance of improving access to mental health care and treatment and to help break down other barriers such as negative perceptions about mental illness.

Visit this web page during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month 2018 for downloadable materials, events and health resources.

National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month Graphics

Rotator Banner
Imagen de carrousel
Sharable Image (English)	Sharable Image (Spanish)

NOTE: These images may be downloaded and used only for purposes of promoting National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month activities, and may not be used for commercial purposes, including selling of products and services and advertisements in newspapers and other publications. 

Mental Health Disparities

Minorities are less likely to receive diagnosis and treatment for their mental illness, have less access to mental health services and often receive a poorer quality of mental health care.

• African Americans and Mental Health
• American Indians/Alaska Natives and Mental Health
• Asian Americans and Mental Health
• Hispanics/Latinos and Mental Health
• Pacific Islanders/Native Hawaiians and Mental Health

Projects and Partnerships

A few of our grants, projects and partnerships helping to reduce disparities and promote better mental health:

• American Indian/Alaska Native Health Equity Initiative (AI/AN Health Equity Initiative)
• Communities Addressing Childhood Trauma (ACT) Program
• Empowered Communities for a Healthier Nation Initiative
• Minority Youth Violence Prevention II (MYVP II): Integrating Social Determinants of Health and Community Policing Approaches

Health Resources and Publications

• Health Disparities Data Widget
• HHS Office of Minority Health Trauma Resources
• Mentalhealth.gov 
• Talking About Mental Health
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Mental Health by the Numbers 
• National Child & Maternal Health Education Program: Moms' Mental Health Matters
• National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD): Brother, You're on My Mind
• National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health 
• SAMHSA Community Conversations Toolkit
• SAMHSA Office of Behavioral Health Equity
• SAMHSA Treatment Locator