Black Families Face Barriers Accessing Mental Health Care
The Child Mind Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need to thrive. Child Mind Institute clinicians provide gold-standard, evidence-based treatment to thousands of kids from all over the world annually through its clinical centers and in-school programs in New York City and the San Francisco Bay area. The Institute also delivers free resources to millions of families and training to hundreds of educators each year, so more kids get the help they need. Its researchers and engineers work to uncover the causes of mental health and learning disorders to develop tomorrow’s breakthrough treatments.
Recently, the Child Mind Institute, in partnership with The Steve Fund, conducted a study to explore the views and experiences of Black parents seeking mental health care for their children and Black young adults seeking care for themselves. The study included both a literature review of important foundational information and a national survey of Black parents of children under 18, plus Black young adults, ages 18 to 24, about their experiences seeking care.
“Amid the current youth mental health crisis, it has become clear that Black children are in dire need of mental health support,” wrote the report’s authors. “With this study, we have been able to highlight the complexities of the Black experience within the mental health care system. And it has opened the door to a larger conversation around the steps that still need to be taken to make mental health care more accessible to Black families and youth.”
Safiya Addison
“We understand that for children in marginalized communities, including communities of color, access to care is difficult both for the children who need the access and for parents who are trying to navigate the space,” added Safiya Addison, Vice President of the Institute’s School and Community Programs.
Below, we summarize key findings of the study, its implications for Black families, and how The Child Mind Institute supports the mental health of parents, their children, and young adults with additional resources.
Most Black Parents and Young Adults Have A Positive View of Mental Health Care
More than three-quarters of Black parents and young adults surveyed expressed an overall positive view of mental health care and mental health professionals.
- 87% of parents and 72% of young adults agree that professional treatment that focuses on their/their child’s mental health would be beneficial.
- 77% of parents and 59% of young adults agreed that they were satisfied with the mental health treatment they or their child received in the past.
- 67% of parents and 53% of young adults agreed that they have had previous positive experiences with the mental health system.
Nearly Half Felt Stigmas Around Mental Health Disorders
Nearly half of Black parents and young adults surveyed felt there was stigma around mental health disorders. Parents were less likely to be deterred from reaching out for treatment for a child than young adults seeking treatment for themselves.
- 46% of both parents and young adults agreed that it would harm their child/themselves to be labeled as having a mental health problem.
- 28% of parents agreed that stereotypes around mental health challenges prevent them from seeking professional treatment for themselves or their child.
- 42% of young adults agreed with the same sentiment, suggesting that stigma may still be a significant issue among younger members of the Black community.
Black Families Face Multiple Mental Health Challenges
Black parents and young adults surveyed reported experiencing an average of about three mental health challenges. However, the average number of mental health challenges treated was reported as 1.8 by parents and 1.7 by young adults, indicating a concerning gap. Anxiety and depression were the most widespread health challenges reported, particularly among young adults.
Race and Discrimination Are Issues for Getting Effective Mental Health Care
A sizable number of Black parents and young adults surveyed cited race as an issue in getting effective mental health care, with 35% of parents and 28% of young adults noting they have experienced racial discrimination in the mental health system. They also shared their perspectives on how well mental health providers who are white or non-Black people of color (POC) understand the effect of racism on the mental health of their child or themselves.
- 50% of parents and 48% of young adults agreed that mental health professionals who are white don’t understand the effect racism has had on their/their child’s mental health.
- 48% of parents and 40% of young adults agreed that mental health professionals who are non-Black POC don’t understand the effect racism has had on their/their child’s mental health.
- 51% of parents and 42% of young adults agreed that mental health professionals who are white underestimate the effect racism has had on their/their child’s mental health.
- 48% of parents and 42% of young adults agreed that mental health professionals who are non-Black POC underestimate the effect racism has had on their/their child’s life.
Finding Mental Health Care is Especially Daunting for Young Adults
One of the study’s more compelling insights, from Addison’s perspective, was how daunting it is for young adults – those 18-to-24-year-olds who are no longer in the public school system and no longer under the care of a pediatrician – to find mental health care and navigate the system.
“Pediatric clinics look different than adult clinics and operate differently as well,” Addison said. “In pediatric clinics, providers proactively advocate for their patients and actively help families navigate the system. Those supports aren’t always available to the same degree in adult clinics, where young adults are responsible for finding their own way.”
Partnering with Schools Connects Black Families to Mental Health Care
According to Addison, the Child Mind Institute has long worked to understand how to connect mental health care to diverse populations, including communities of color. The study’s findings served to validate the Institute’s focus on addressing the root causes of mental health care gaps by reflecting the lived experiences and voices of Black parents and youth.
One way the Institute addresses those gaps is through its School and Community Programs, which bring evidence-based mental health care to high-need school communities through skill building programs and direct clinical services for students, professional training for educators and school-based clinicians, and resources that support caregivers. Since 2012, the Institute has engaged nearly 2.1 million students, parents, teachers, and mental health professionals across more than 9,000 schools.
“An estimated 80 percent of children in marginalized communities are not getting access to mental health care,” said Addison, who notes that the Child Mind Institute’s School and Community Programs prioritize schools in which 75% or more of children receive free and reduced-price lunch. “Because schools are the place where children spend most of their waking hours, it is an ideal location in which to connect them to mental health care.”
Mental Health Resources for Black Children and Young Adults
As a follow up to the study, the Child Mind Institute and The Steve Fund launched a suite of resources for parents, clinical experts, and young adults.
Resources include articles (available in English, Spanish, and English audio) on Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Black Adolescent Boys, Black Parents and the Importance of Cultural Competency in Therapy, and Why Are Black Parents Concerned About Medication Treatment?, as well as webinars: Mental Health Support for Black Families Panel Discussion, and Black Families and Youth Mental Health Panel Discussion.
Addison and her team in the Institute’s School and Community Programs are also amplifying the study with clinicians and educators to help them better understand the perspective of the families and children they are treating and caring for. She positions the study as a sort of guidebook for clinicians who may not have received cultural responsiveness education during their training, and for educators who are often the ones to identify students who need support and raise the issue with their parents.
“It’s important for clinicians and educators to feel comfortable talking about mental health and to understand the stigma that Black families may feel when they or their child are diagnosed and treated for a mental health condition,” concluded Addison.
