NPR (6/25, Noguchi) reports that now more than ever, “the need for mental health support is more evident,” particularly “among Black Americans, say people who study and experience the burden of racism.” Unfortunately, “the economic barriers to accessing mental health care have only increased.” For many patients of color, “access to mental health treatment often comes in places of last resort: Jails, schools, emergency” departments. Currently, “the scarcity of Black mental health professionals in the U.S. is now an acute problem, says” psychiatrist Altha Stewart, MD, “who became the first Black president of the American Psychiatric Association two years ago.”
Related Links:
— “‘Bear Our Pain’: The Plea For More Black Mental Health Workers, “Yuki Noguchi, NPR, June 25, 2020