Approaches to Addressing the Structural Trauma of the Mental Health Care System

Abstract

The mental health care system in the United States is fractured and disjointed with temporary and inadequate services for people to receive care. Inequities in care and treatment may be understood by historical policies rooted in structural trauma, herein defined as a functional, organizational tool of violence worsening the impact of traumatic experience on specific vulnerable populations by design, creating the inequities in care and treatment that exist to this day. Those most affected by structural trauma are at a social disadvantage when accessing or attempting to access mental health care services. Although the US mental health care system is universally challenging to navigate as it operates today, it is even more so for the vulnerable and disadvantaged who need access to resources and services. In this article, we describe the current system of how people in the US currently receive mental health care, provide examples of promising new models of care, and propose solutions for addressing the barriers to equitable care. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2021;51(11):516–521.]