Mental health hits racial barriers
Lack of resources, stigma make getting help harder for Blacks
As a child growing up in the former Cabrini-Green public housing complex, Dr. Kamilah Banks-Word observed people in the neighborhood whose behavior was different; something was wrong.
At the time, she really didn’t understand they had mental health problems that were undiagnosed or under treated. But she knew they needed help.
That was a major catalyst that led to her becoming a psychiatry physician, said Banks-Word, who provides mental health services to children and adolescents at Harvey-based Family Christian Health Center.
Back then, many people in communities of color were not getting the mental health care services they need, and in the midst of Mental Health Awareness month, she and others note the problem persists today. Continuing barriers they face must be removed including lack of access to health care resources, stigma and too few culturally competent mental health care providers, they stress.
Among African Americans in need of mental health services, a 2020 survey found only 37% received services compared to nearly 52% among whites, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Among Hispanics, only 35% did.
There’s a great need for more medical health care centers and inpatient sites in communities of color that provide mental health care services, she said.
“In Chicago, a lot of inpatient psychiatric units have been closed down because of lack of funding, Banks-Word said. “So, when a person requires hospitalization due to safety concerns or needing to be stabilized for whatever reason, they are either placed pretty far away from home in surrounding suburbs or they are not able to be placed because no beds are available.”
They’re often left with seeking outpatient care, and sometimes there’s a long waiting list, she said.
Due to too few mental health care facilities in communities of color and the lack of treatment for mental illnesses, many people end up in the “criminal justice system as the resolution for mental health care,” said Tonya Roberson, director of community engagement, program devel
opment and academic support at Governors State University and adjunct faculty in the College of Health and Human Services.
Meanwhile when people of color do receive care, often it’s poor quality care and ended prematurely, said Roberson. They might get one or two sessions with a mental health care professional, when they need six months of care, she said.
“A major barrier I’ve seen has definitely been insurance,” said BanksWord.
Family Christian Health Center takes private insurance as well as Medicare and Medicaid, she noted. It is a federally qualified health center, which means it’s a community-based health care provider and receives federal funds to provide primary care services in underserved areas.
A lot of therapists may not take Medicaid, or Medicare limits the access for patients who don’t have private insurance, said mental health care providers.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately impacted African Americans and Hispanics, has worsened the situation. The social isolation and limited social interaction it caused has led to mental health problems for many, said Banks-Word.
“I have seen an uptick in patients coming in for depression and with anxiety,” she said, adding there has been an increase nationwide in people having suicidal thoughts and attempting suicide.
The pandemic has made it really challenging for people to access therapeutic services,” said Wanda Parker, behavioral health clinical director at Olympia Fields-based Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness, which is also a federally qualified health center.
“Everybody is fully booked,” she said. “People who already had diagnosis of depression and anxiety worsened,” and people who never struggled with depression and anxiety are now having problems, leading to long waiting lists.
People in crisis can ill afford to be put on a waiting list, she said.
While telehealth services have been very beneficial for many, the digital divide in minority communities has kept many from accessing those services.
“There’s a need for equity and inclusion in that area,” Parker said.
The impact of systemic racism, discrimination and unjustified police shootings of African Americans continues to take a toll on the mental health of African Americans as does other unresolved trauma. But people often don’t seek help due to cultural barriers, she and others said.
Roberson shared the story of being at a senior home where she hosted a breakfast for residents to discuss mental health.
“When they came down for breakfast and I started talking about mental health, they said, you just want to say we’re crazy and left,” she said.
“There’s a stigma,” Roberson said. (Seeking care) is viewed as something bad. They don’t want to be labeled as crazy.”
Parker said there’s also the mentality that you should pull yourself up by your bootstraps, which prevents people from seeking help, and many live by the code that you shouldn’t speak about traumatic events, that what happens in the family stays in the family. So, seeking help is viewed as being disloyal.
But mental health care providers stress seeking help to address mental health needs should be viewed no differently than addressing physical needs.
“Mental health is all a part of overall physical health,” Banks-Word said.
To address the mental health care needs of African Americans and other minorities there is a need for more culturally competent providers, Parker said. And more people of color should be encouraged to enter the profession, Banks-Word said. Financial incentives could help attract more people to the field, she said.
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, said to combat stigma, conversations about mental health and accessing care should be encouraged and normalized. She and others said there is a need for investment in more resources.
Kelly reintroduced legislation last month designed to address racial and ethnic health inequities, including in mental health. The bill, called the Health Equity and Accountability Act, includes provisions to help ensure behavioral health services are culturally responsive for racially and ethnically diverse communities. It also supports diversity among health care workers through grants to historically Black colleges and universities.
Despite continuing barriers, mental health care providers say their message this month and always is don’t hesitate to see help.
To highlight mental health, Family Christian Health Center will hold a wellness fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at its center at 31 W. 155th St. in Harvey.
For mental health resources go to:
The National Alliance on Mental Illness, www.nami.org
Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness, www.auntmar thas.org
Family Christian Health Center at www.familychc. com