![]() ![]() Read this series that addresses the stigma of mental health in young Asian Americans, “model minority” expectations, and how practitioners, parents, peers, and schools can help break down barriers.Consider submitting your photo to be included in the project. Visit the People of Color & Mental Illness Photo Project created by Dior Vargas, a Latina feminist mental health care activist.Watch this 3-minute video by writer and activist Imade Nibokun, about depression, the intersection of mental health and social justice, and how the suicide of MarShawn McCarrel was a catalyst for addressing activist self-care.Take the Stigma Free Pledge and be conscious of words and language that stigmatize mental illness.Use the following resources to open awareness and dialogue: Share your narrative as an act of “ self-love, liberation and reclamation,” an inspiration to others that can potentially save lives. Normalize mental health as a social justice issue by breaking down barriers to seeking help. Four Ways People of Color Can Foster Mental Health and Practice Restorative Healing Here are four important ways people of color can foster mental health and practice restorative healing. But we do not have to give from an empty cup or suffer in silence. Loving ourselves in the process is radical resistance. Our survival and continued existence is a tribute to our strength and resilience. Both Black and Latinx people face higher rates of depression than white people.īut despite the obstacles we face, we can heal and our communities can thrive. Islamophobia has taken a mental and physical toll on Muslim Americans with nearly one-fourth suffering from depression. Asian-American women have the second highest suicide rate in the country. People of color are disproportionately more likely to experience race-based trauma and PTSD, with Native Americans experiencing significantly higher rates. Meanwhile, the social impact is devastating. When confronted by their lack of knowledge, white therapists often retraumatize us with their own white fragility and rage. The history of racism in mental health care is well-documented, and even today, there is still clear bias against people of color.įrom diagnostic disparities to pathologizing and gaslighting those suffering from racial trauma, white mental health practitioners have little sense of cultural competency in serving people of color and can reinforce stigma and induce more harm. For example, only 5% of psychologists are African Americans. Access to culturally competent care is also an obstacle for communities of color. When we do receive care, it is often poorer quality. are less likely overall to access mental health services for reasons including cultural and socioeconomic barriers. People of color aren’t visible in this conversation, and that alone impacts our mental health by making it harder for us to believe and identify our struggles.Īnd people of color not only feel left out, we get left out. People of color aren’t visible in this conversation, and that alone impacts our mental health by making it harder for us to believe and identify our struggles. Why, then, are people of color often silenced, ignored, and excluded from the discussion? White-centricism not only takes over the narrative of mental health, it consumes media representation, access to services/resources, and even community support. Mental illness does not discriminate on the basis of identity or background. And we ignore our own pain and suffering. ![]() We perpetuate the stigma of mental illness in our communities. By denying our humanity, we downplay the mental-health effects of racial trauma. These stereotypes may seem empowering, but beneath the surface, they are damaging. The Asian “ model minority.” “¡No soy loco!” These tropes, expressions, and labels are often used to demonstrate (and even celebrate) the “resiliency” of people of color.
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