Shining a Spotlight on Black Mental Health and the Racial Disparities in Mental Healthcare and Wellness
Historically, mental healthcare in the US has failed to meet Americans’ needs. The systems built to help people address their psychological needs are, by and large, either unaffordable, inaccessible, or ineffective for the majority of Americans. However, when examining the differences in the quality and quantity of care received by different ethnic groups in the US, the disparities become appalling. In particular, there is a lack of mental health resources available to Black Americans. The disproportionate suffering of the mentally ill in Black communities results from many systemically racist economic, social, and legal barriers that the coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated.
Staggering Lack of Treatment
According to a Psychiatric Times study, 69% of Black adults with mental illnesses and 42% with serious mental illnesses received no treatment for their conditions in 2018. Similarly, 88% of Black adults with substance abuse issues received no treatment. Black adolescents are far less likely to receive mental illness treatment and receive it at a lower frequency than white adolescents. Recent years have also seen a spike in suicides among Black youth, a phenomenon that is yet to be entirely understood, though it likely stems from Black Americans’ dearth of mental healthcare treatment.
The pandemic has aggravated the societal circumstances that breed mental health issues. Because of the disproportionate toll the virus has taken on Black communities, Black Americans face a dual battle against both the pandemic and structural impediments preventing them from adequately dealing with its fallout. Between March and July of 2020, one 1 of every 1,000 children lost a parent to Covid-19. Of the children who lost a parent, 23% are at risk of entering foster care, and 50% are at risk of falling into poverty. However, if you break down these statistics by racial group, it’s clear that Black children were most severely affected.
1 out of every 1,500 White adolescents has lost a caregiver or parent to COVID-19. In comparison, Black adolescents are over twice as likely to be in the same position, with 1 in every 600 children losing a parent or caregiver. Dr. Jennifer Havens, Director of Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health for the Office of Behavioral Health at NYC Health + Hospitals, stated in an interview with the Gotham Gazette that a child’s wellbeing after the death of a parent “really depends on the strength of their family support and also to some degree their financial stability.” Therefore, economic disparities between racial groups will serve as another challenge to the mental health and recovery of some children in distress because of the pandemic.
Barriers Faced
The pandemic has worsened mental health conditions in Black communities and added barriers to accessing healthcare and treatment. The high cost of insurance and healthcare was already a serious issue before the pandemic; the pandemic’s disastrous economic effects have only solidified these barriers. Black families are far less likely to have a safety net of savings to draw from and have a median net worth that’s almost a tenth of white families’. In the event of job loss or a health crisis, Black families are far less likely to have sufficient insurance or money to pay for mental health treatment.
Although necessary, social distancing measures have decreased access to and increased the difficulty of mental health treatment. The isolation and distress caused by such unprecedented circumstances have only worsened the mental health crisis in Black communities. According to the Psychiatric Times, the “loss of community members, compounded by the relative isolation based on stay-at-home orders and social distancing measures, act as a stressor by limiting access to support systems.” The network of organizations, houses of worship, and schools that usually act as a resilient safety net for Black communities was partially cut off from those they helped. Black individuals with few resources may also have trouble accessing cellular and broadband internet devices, vital for remote treatment.
It has also become clear that the transition to remote counseling and treatment has affected even those who can access mental healthcare. Many children have been cut off from their mental healthcare resources because of the transition to remote learning. Organizations and private healthcare practitioners have also been forced to perform wellness checks and distribute resources virtually, making it far more challenging to monitor, support, and prevent patient relapses. The pandemic has not only made it more difficult for people in Black communities to find mental care but undermined its efficacy.
NYC Resources
While the pandemic has undoubtedly worsened the mental health crisis, there are still resources available for those in need. New York City has a program called NYC Well that provides “free, confidential crisis counseling, mental health, and substance misuse support, information and referral.” You can also find free or low cost mental health services in your area through this directory provided by the Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Human Rights. If you or a loved one need support, please reach out and ask for help.
