Minority Mental Health Month
Faced with systemic racial disparities, minorities often feel the effects of mental health issues at a disproportionately higher rate than others. But help is available.
The City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) will use this month to bring voices together to advocate for mental health and access to care.
Together, we can realize our shared vision of a City — and a nation — where minorities affected by mental illness can get the appropriate support and quality of care to live healthy, fulfilling lives.
DBHIDS is dedicated to educating, strengthening, and serving individuals and communities so that all Philadelphians can thrive. This month — and every month — always remember: It’s OK to not be OK. You’re not alone. We are here to help.
Did you know…
- Although suicide rates went down during the pandemic, rates increased among minorities, particularly black pre-teen youth. The same trends are noted among LGBTQ individuals.
- LGBTQ youth are significantly more likely to become homeless compared with other populations.
- Marginalized populations experienced a disproportionate increase in anxiety and depression.
These disparities are endemic and affect access to and quality of healthcare and social and economic opportunities.
Does your therapist ‘get’ you?
The answer to this question is a key factor in mental health recovery.
Finding a provider you trust, who you connect with and who has experience working with people like you, isn’t always easy. Yet it is especially important for members of minority groups—many of whom suffer generational trauma from systemic racism, yet don’t receive the treatment they need.
Mental Health First Aid
Many of us would know how to help if we saw someone having a heart attack—start CPR, or at the very least, call 9-1-1. But too few of us would know how to respond if we saw someone having a panic attack or if we were concerned that a friend or co-worker might be showing signs of alcoholism.
Let’s make Mental Health First Aid as common as CPR. Find out how to get trained for free.
Virtual Mental Health First Aid® Trainings, sponsored by the City of Philadelphia, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, are now available with limited seating in each course. This course is provided at NO COST to those who live, work or study in the City of Philadelphia.
High-Functioning Depression
Earlier this year we got a sobering reminder of the invisible baggage we carry when we learned about the death of Cheslie Kryst, former Miss USA and entertainment news correspondent at Extra. From the outside, the 30-year-old appeared to have it all. But Cheslie was dealing with high-functioning depression.
Can you relate to saying you’re okay when you’re not?
Take a Minute to Breathe
It happens to all of us. Feelings like anxiety, stress, and fear cause our breathing to be shallow, irregular, or rapid. It’s entirely normal. Our body’s automatic response is to protect itself. The trick is to focus not on what’s happening around us, but to what is happening within us. We are breathing. It’s our most basic instinct.
Practicing steady, deep breathing delivers more oxygen to the body and brain, reduces your heart rate and decreases the release of cortisol—better known as the stress hormone. Deep breathing also releases endorphins. This in turn increases a sense of calm and can combat pain.
Learn more about the benefits of breathing exercises from our blog.
On the Radio
As part of Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, DBHIDS is partnering with Radio One to host Mental Health Mondays.