Resources
Minority Mental Health Matters
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.
Mental & behavioral health
African Americans
- Poverty level affects mental health status. African Americans living below the poverty level, compared with those over twice the poverty level, are twice as likely to report psychological distress.
- In 2017, suicide was the second leading cause of death for African Americans ages 15 to 24.
- The death rate from suicide for African American men was more than four times greater than for African American women in 2017.
- The overall suicide rate for African Americans is 60 percent lower than that of the non-Hispanic white population.
- African American females in grades 9-12 were 70 percent more likely to attempt suicide in 2017 than non-Hispanic white females of the same age.
- A U.S. Surgeon General report found that from 1980-1995 the suicide rate among African Americans ages 10 to 14 increased 233 percent, compared with 120 percent for non-Hispanic whites.
Mental & behavioral health
American Indians & Alaska Natives
- In 2017, suicide was the second leading cause of death for American Indians/Alaska Natives between the ages of 10 and 34.
- American Indians/Alaska Natives are twice as likely to experience the feeling that everything is an effort, all or most of the time, compared with non-Hispanic whites.
- Violent deaths, unintentional injuries, homicide and suicide account for 75% of all mortality in the second decade of life for American Indians/Alaska Natives.
- The overall death rate from suicide for American Indian/Alaska Native adults is about 20 percent higher than for the non-Hispanic white population.
- Adolescent American Indian/Alaska Native females ages 15-19 have a death rate three times higher than non-Hispanic white females in the same age group.
Mental & behavioral health
Asian Americans
- Suicide was the leading cause of death for Asian Americans ages 15 to 24 in 2017.
- Asian American females in grades 9-12 were 20 percent more likely to attempt suicide than non-Hispanic white female students in 2017.
- Southeast Asian refugees are at risk for PTSD associated with trauma experienced before and after immigration. One study found 70% of Southeast Asian refugees receiving mental health care were diagnosed with PTSD.
- The overall suicide rate for Asian Americans is half that of the non-Hispanic white population.
Mental & behavioral health
Hispanic Americans
- Hispanics living below the poverty level, compared with those over twice the poverty level, are over twice as likely to report psychological distress.
- The death rate from suicide for Hispanic men was four times the rate for Hispanic women in 2017.
- The suicide rate for Hispanics is less than half that of the non-Hispanic white population.
- In 2017, suicide was the second leading cause of death for Hispanics ages 15 to 34.
- Suicide attempts for Hispanic girls in grades 9-12 were 40 percent higher than for non-Hispanic white girls in the same age group in 2017.
- Non-Hispanic whites received mental health treatment twice as often as Hispanics in 2018.
Mental & behavioral health
LGBTQIA+
LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual) individuals often experience body dysmorphia, physical or emotional abuse, or feeling unsafe at school or work. In many areas of the United States, finding sympathetic and appropriate help can be prohibitively difficult.
Over 27% of transgender people in the U.S. report being denied healthcare. Studies have found LGBTQIA+ people are 29% more likely to experience memory problems than peers with similar characteristics. Other studies found 71% reported feeling sad or hopeless for at least two weeks within the past year, 39% have contemplated suicide, and 20% have attempted suicide.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health. minorityhealth.hhs.gov
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