Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Care.

Abstract

Back to table of contents Previous article Editor’s ChoiceFull AccessRacial-Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health CareAyana Jordan, M.D., Ph.D., and Lisa B. Dixon, M.D., M.P.H.Ayana JordanSearch for more papers by this author, M.D., Ph.D., and Lisa B. DixonSearch for more papers by this author, M.D., M.P.H.Published Online:1 Feb 2021https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.72204AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail This Editor’s Choice collection was first published online in January 2021. To review all collections, visit the Editor’s Choice section of ps.psychiatryonline.org.Issues of racism and social injustice have finally captured the attention of the academic community, following the international outrage and protest against racism in response to the recent killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black people. In addition to these appalling episodes of police violence and vigilantism, the COVID-19 pandemic has further revealed racial-ethnic inequities as evidenced by the disproportionate morbidity and mortality of Black, Latinx, indigenous, and other persons of color. Many academic journals are wrestling with how to respond to the current “syndemic” of anti-Black systemic racism and the COVID-19 pandemic and have issued a call to action for all those involved in research, clinical care, and education.In June 2019, prior to the groundswell of support for scholarly work focused on health disparities, Psychiatric Services curated an Editor’s Choice collection on racial-ethnic mental health disparities. This original collection focused on characterizing the problem, financial considerations, quality of care received, and proposed solutions. Given the importance of this topic, with renewed attention and global priority, we updated this collection to highlight publications within the past 2 years that center on additional topics, including experiences of mental illness in other vulnerable populations, such as sexual minorities, youths, and those involved in the carceral system; barriers related to accessing mental health services among people of color; and thoughtful solutions to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities. We encourage readers to listen to our Psychiatric Services From Pages to Practice Podcast (Episode 36, August 2020), where we discuss factors contributing to these ongoing disparities and critically analyze ways to move forward. The field of psychiatry cannot move forward without deliberate scholarship and action in the realm of social justice. We invite our colleagues to commit to this work and engage in the conversation; to start, we offer a few curated items to delve into the nuances related to racial and ethnic disparities in mental health.Vulnerable populations (geriatric, lgtbqia+, incarcerated persons, youths)Psychiatric Symptoms and Diagnoses Among U.S. College Students: A Comparison by Race and EthnicityChen JA, Stevens C, Wong SHM, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2019; 70:442–449Factors Associated With Use of Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Services by Justice-Involved YouthsYonek JC, Dauria EF, Kemp K, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2019; 70:586–595Evidence for Differential Predictive Performance of the Prime Screen Between Black and White Help-Seeking YouthsMillman ZB, Rakhshan Rouhakhtar PJ, DeVylder JE, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2019; 70:907–914Racial-Ethnic Differences in Service Use Patterns Among Young, Commercially Insured Individuals With Recent-Onset Psychosisvan der Ven E, Susser E, Dixon LB, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2020; 71:433–439A Qualitative Investigation of Engagement in Mental Health Services Among Black and Hispanic LGB Young AdultsMoore KL, Lopez L, Camacho D, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2020; 71:555–561Differential Incarceration by Race-Ethnicity and Mental Health Service Status in the Los Angeles County Jail SystemAppel O, Stephens D, Shadravan SM, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2020; 71:843–846Service utilizationDisparities in Mental Health Care Utilization and Perceived Need Among Asian Americans: 2012–2016Yang KG, Rodgers CRR, Lee E, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2020; 71:21–27The Role of County Characteristics in Mental Health Service Use by Older African AmericansKim K, Lehning AJ, Sacco PPsychiatr Serv 2020; 71:465–471Proposed solutionsA Systematic Review of Interventions to Improve Initiation of Mental Health Care Among Racial-Ethnic Minority GroupsLee-Tauler SY, Eun J, Corbett D, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2018; 69:628–647Special considerationProvider Contributions to Disparities in Mental Health CareMerced K, Imel ZE, Baldwin SA, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2020; 71:765–771Improving Service Coordination and Reducing Mental Health Disparities Through Adoption of Electronic Health RecordsMcGregor B, Mack D, Wrenn G, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2015; 66:985–987Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Treatment and Treatment Type for Depression in a National Sample of Medicaid RecipientsMcGregor B, Li C, Baltrus P, et al.Psychiatr Serv 2020; 71:663–669 FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByPrevalence and Sociodemographic Correlates of Unmet Need for Mental Health Counseling Among Adults During the COVID-19 PandemicJason M. Nagata, M.D., M.Sc., Kyle T. Ganson, Ph.D., M.S.W., Sydell L. Bonin, Kaitlyn L. Twadell, Maria E. Garcia, M.D., M.P.H., Olivia Langrock, Eric Vittinghoff, Ph.D., Alexander C. Tsai, M.D., Ph.D., Sheri D. Weiser, M.D., M.P.H., Hoda S. Abdel Magid, M.H.S., Ph.D.30 June 2021 | Psychiatric Services, Vol. 73, No. 2 Volume 72Issue 2 February 01, 2021Pages 236-237 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 February 2021 Published in print 1 February 2021