How Does Race And Ethnicity Affect Mental Health?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual minorities often suffer from poor mental health outcomes due to multiple factors including

inaccessibility of high quality mental health care services

, cultural stigma surrounding mental health care, discrimination, and overall lack of awareness about mental health.

How does race play a role in mental health?

Racial disparities, or unfair differences, within the system of mental health are well documented. Research indicates that compared with people who are white, black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) are:

Less likely to have access to mental health services

.

Less likely to seek out services

.

Which race has the highest rate of depression?

Persons ages 40–59 years had the highest prevalence of probable depression (9.2%) relative to persons ages 18–39 (7.6%) and ages ≥60 (6.7%). Non-Hispanic

Black

(9.8%) and Hispanic (9.2%) persons had higher prevalence of probable depression than non-Hispanic White persons (7.5%) or persons of Other race (7.2%).

Do racial and ethnic disparities in mental health treatment vary with underlying mental health?

We find that in contrast to physical health treatment, Black–White and Hispanic–White disparities in any mental health treatment use

widen with higher levels of psychological distress

.

How does culture influence mental health?

Culture significantly impacts various aspects of mental health including

the perception of health and illness, treatment-seeking behaviour and coping styles

. As such, simplified mainstreaming of mental health approaches may not cater to the needs of a culturally diverse population from different communities.

What race has more anxiety?

Race/Ethnicity among Anxiety (GAD-7) and Depression (PHQ-9) Screeners 2019 Count 2020 Percentage
Asian or Pacific Islander

21,835 17.21%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 20,459 8.74% Hispanic or Latino 28,341 12.72% More than one of the above 10,487 4.51%

What country is most suicidal?

The most suicidal state in the entire world is by a wide margin Greenland, with

Lesotho

being the most suicidal country.

Which ethnicity has the most mental health issues?

People who identify as being two or more races (24.9%) are most likely to report any mental illness within the past year than any other race/ethnic group, followed by

American Indian/Alaska

Natives (22.7%), white (19%), and black (16.8%).

What race has the highest rate of schizophrenia?

Numerous studies over decades have shown that

Black Americans

are diagnosed at higher rates of schizophrenia than White Americans. In a 2018 analysis of data from 52 different studies, researchers found that Black Americans are 2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Which race goes to therapy the most?

Outpatient mental health service use in the past year was highest for adults reporting two or more races (8.8 percent),

white adults

(7.8 percent), and American Indian or Alaska Native adults (7.7 percent), followed by black (4.7 percent), Hispanic (3.8 percent), and Asian (2.5 percent) adults.

How does culture influence anxiety?

Someone from a culture where it is common to know psychological terms, could easily describe anxiety and depression using

those specific words

. In other cultures, other words might be more common. For example, being nervous (nervios) is frequently used by Latinos to express anxiety.

How can cultural issues impact on a person’s well being?

Living in a community that

rejects aspects of your culture

– such as identity, beliefs, or sexual orientation – can have negative impacts on your wellbeing. … Being disconnected from your cultural heritage can lead you to question who you really are and where you belong. This may cause you to feel lost and isolated.

How does religion affect mental health?

Previous studies have also reported some negative effects of religion and religious education on mental health. In some cases, religious beliefs and practices contributed to the development of certain disorders like

obsession

, anxiety, and depression [60].

What are symptoms for anxiety?

  • Feeling nervous, restless or tense.
  • Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom.
  • Having an increased heart rate.
  • Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
  • Sweating.
  • Trembling.
  • Feeling weak or tired.
  • Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry.

What age group has the highest rate of anxiety?


Adults ages 30 to 44

have the highest rate of anxiety of this age group, with around 23% of people this age reporting an anxiety disorder within the past year.

What country has the highest rate of anxiety?

According to the analysis,

the United States

has the highest number of stressed, anxious, and sad people in the world, with 33 per cent of its population reporting mental health issues.

Carlos Perez
Author
Carlos Perez
Carlos Perez is an education expert and teacher with over 20 years of experience working with youth. He holds a degree in education and has taught in both public and private schools, as well as in community-based organizations. Carlos is passionate about empowering young people and helping them reach their full potential through education and mentorship.