Racial and ethnic minorities are significantly more likely than whites to delay or forego needed mental health care, and, if they do seek treatment, they are more likely than whites to drop out (McGuire and Miranda, 2008). Mental illness stigma and discrimination are thought to contribute to these racial/ethnic disparities in service utilization (U.S. Department […]
Black or African American
Racial-Ethnic Differences in Psychiatric Diagnoses and Treatment Across 11 Health Care Systems in the Mental Health Research Network
A large study from Kaiser Permanente, involving more than 7 million adults, found significant differences in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions based on the race and ethnicity of the patients. The new study published in the journal Psychiatric Services, also found that regardless of race or ethnicity, patients were more than twice […]
Stress in America: The Impact of Discrimination
Nearly half of U.S. adults report they have experienced a major form of unfair treatment or discrimination, including being unfairly questioned or threatened by police, being fired or passed over for promotion or treated unfairly when receiving health care. These acts of discrimination are associated with higher reported stress levels and poorer reported health, according […]
Depressive Symptoms Predict Major Depressive Disorder after 15 Years among Whites but Not Blacks
Depression can strike anyone, taking a toll on mental and physical health, friendships, work and studies. But figuring out who’s at risk for it is still a murky task. A new study suggests that standard ways of looking for depression risk may not work as well among blacks as they do among whites. But listening […]
National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Health Care for Blacks
This Black Health Care chartbook is part of a family of documents and tools that support the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (QDR). The QDR includes annual reports to Congress mandated in the Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-129). This chartbook includes a summary of trends across measures of Black health […]
Update on Efforts to Address the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women and Girls, and Gender-Related Health Disparities
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and HIV are intersecting epidemics that have far-reaching health consequences for women in the United States. When these two problems converge—as they do far too often—the impact on women is compounded and the consequences can be devastating. Failure to address that intersection leads to a vicious cycle of sex/gender inequities—particularly for women […]