Earlier this month, we penned an article positing the time might be ripe for a re-envisioning of DEI&B (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging). To reaffirm those perceptions, SHRM’s annual DEI conference (Society for Human Resource Management) is billed as Inclusion 2024 and touts an opportunity to connect with other IE&D professionals. TIAA and KPMG have both gotten on the IED bandwagon.
As we continue to explore the “2.0” possibilities of things, May is Mental Health Awareness Month… and mental health continues to be experiencing an overhaul. More organizations are talking about mental health as part of overall health benefits. People are less afraid to talk about mental health issues. And yet, we have a long way to go!
Especially when it comes to already underserved populations. A recent study by Deloitte looks at both the rising costs and impacts of mental health on the US population and our businesses, as well as the significant inequities in the system. Within the next 16 years, organizations will be looking at an increase in productivity losses from mental health issues rising from $166B annually to over $259B annually!
Recently, my friend and colleague Raul Mercado and I had the opportunity to lead a conversation on mental health with a group of CEOs. Pretty quickly, the issue of how to talk with people about mental health issues came up. And it was clear that the more white, educated, and actually one, female people were, the more resources they had to delve into this topic. Men of all races, and all people of color were less comfortable talking about mental health issues. Some of it is cultural. Many black women grew up hearing about people from Social Services coming and taking away the children of women who seek mental health support. And these aren’t just stories! Mass General Brigham McLean Hospital has launched a program specifically focused on black mental health.
Dr. Erica Martin Richards of Johns Hopkins recently spoke about both the mental health crisis as well as the disparity. “Anyone can experience mental illness. There is no group, gender, sexual identity, race or cultural belief that can prevent it from occurring. And it’s actually happening at higher rates than most other illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. That’s especially alarming for minority women. Women are at least twice as likely to experience an episode of major depression as men. And, compared to their Caucasian counterparts, African American women are only half as likely to seek help.”
Dr Richards also wrote a particularly poignant article for Psychiatric Times. One of the issues that comes out in her article is the fact that, when black women do seek help, they often encounter racial bias from healthcare providers, which can affect the quality and outcome of the care they receive. Studies show that Black women are disproportionately affected by systemic racism in healthcare, leading to worse health outcomes, including higher rates of maternal mortality and mental health issues. Again, these systemic biases extend to the child welfare system, where Black families are more likely to be scrutinized and have their children removed compared to White families, even when controlling for similar circumstances.
The intersection of mental health support and child welfare can be particularly perilous for Black women. Seeking mental health care might trigger involvement from child protective services (CPS), leading to fears that their mental health struggles could be used against them as evidence of unfit parenting.
We’ve done a lot of research on the impacts of mental health inequity when it comes to black women – but they’re not alone. Stories abound of impacts on other communities of color and low-income communities.
The time has come to bring mental health issues out of the dark and destigmatize these challenges for people of all races, genders, orientations, ages, and backgrounds.
It can start with us.
One of my favorite, oft-quoted lines is from Margaret Mead,
