July: National Minority Mental Health Month
Posted by NNLM Region 7 on July 29th, 2024
Posted in: Blog
Did you know July is recognized as National Minority Mental Health Month? Until recently, I was unaware of this, so if you were already in the know, kudos to you!
National Minority Mental Health month is dedicated to raising awareness about the unique mental health challenges faced by minority communities. This observance emphasizes the importance of addressing the disparities in mental health care that affect individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
Among the barriers that minority communities face are lack of culturally competent care, limited access to resources, and stigma.
When mental health issues are viewed as personal weaknesses rather than medical conditions this can deter individuals from seeking out help. This makes stigma one of the largest obstacles faced by people in minority communities when it comes to discussing the struggles they face openly.
Cultural competence in mental health care is crucial. Building cultural competence in health care can look like understanding and respecting the diverse backgrounds of patients, and incorporating that respectful understanding into treatment. Language barriers and a lack of culturally relevant materials or providers can further exacerbate these issues. As part of our NNLM initiatives we are working toward building more health information resources in languages other than English on
Medline Plus We currently have
Medline Plus Español as a great option for folks who need information resources in Spanish!
July (a.k.a) National Minority Mental Health Month wants a more inclusive and supportive mental health system, ensuring that every person has access to the resources and care needed for them to survive, and thrive.
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