Demand for and use of mental healthcare services increased slightly across adults in all demographics in the last decade, according to the American Psychiatric Association. But in the past three years, 50% of white adults reported receiving mental health services compared with 39% of Black adults and 36% of Hispanic adults.
There are many reasons why people of color are less likely to seek and receive mental healthcare, from cultural stigma and a lack of diverse providers to high costs and geographical barriers, said Dawn Tyus, director and principal investigator of the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.
Among adults seeking mental healthcare, Asian, Hispanic and Black adults are more likely to report difficulty finding a provider that understands their background and experiences compared to their white counterparts.
See “How mental health funding helps providers fight disparities” (June 14, 2024)
