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July 18 National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month Twitter Chat – 2-3 pm ET
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):
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.
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.
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.
A few of our grants, projects and partnerships helping to reduce disparities and promote better mental health: