Minority Mental Health

Minority stress refers to the idea that individuals in minority groups face certain stressors due to their identity, in addition to ones that everyone must handle, that compound with everyday problems that worsen their health and well-being (French, 2024). Individuals from minority groups generally experience worse mental health outcomes than those from majority groups.

Statistics
Members of minority groups are less likely to receive mental health support (Superior Healthplan, 2023). Compared to the average 46.2% of adults in the United States who seek support, 35.1% of Hispanic adults seek support (National Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI], n.d.b), and only 20.8% of Asian adults did so in 2020 (NAMI, n.d.) According to the Office of Minority Health (2026), “In 2024, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults were 11% more likely than U.S. adults overall to report having a mental illness”. Broadly, similar results were found for Black/African American adults (11%), Hispanic/Latino adults, (12%), Asian American adults (27%), and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults (48%). Students in these groups were also more likely to attempt suicide. Furthermore, adult members of the LGBTQ+ community are more than twice as likely as their counterparts to experience a mental health condition (NAMI, n.d.c), with individuals who are transgender experiencing a mental health condition four times more likely than cisgender ones. These results are especially prevalent with depression as LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely to experience feelings of hopelessness or sadness. This is even more noticeable among transgender youth, with them being almost twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms compared to their non-transgender peers, even those among the LGBTQ+ community.
There is also an intersection between disability and mental health. In 2018, it was found that roughly 17.4 million adults with disabilities experienced mental distress (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2025; Cree et al., 2020). Someone with a disability has many factors that can contribute to a mental illness, and there are several barriers that can prevent them from receiving care (NAMI, n.d.d).

Racial and Ethnic Minorities and Mental Health
Being a member of a racial or ethnic minority means that an individual is more likely to develop a mental health condition. The racism and discrimination that they face is heavily associated with worse mental health (Mental Health America, n.d.; Panchal et al., 2024). It has also been found that being a member of a racial or ethnic minority group makes one less likely to receive mental health care, with 39% of Black adults and 36% of Hispanic adults saying that they had received it compared to 50% of White adults (Panchal et al., 2024). There are some barriers that affect multiple adults regardless of racial or ethnic status, such as scheduling concerns, but even those are disproportionately more likely to affect members of a minority group. For instance, Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American adults earn less than their White counterparts (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024), contributing to financial concerns about affording treatment. In addition, there are some barriers to treatment that are unique to members of a minority group, “such as finding a provider who can understand their background and experiences, lack of information, or stigma or embarrassment” (Panchal et al., 2024).
There are also important cultural differences to keep in mind concerning mental health for members of a minority group (Hunt, 2024). For instance, Hispanic/Latino culture can believe that having a mental health condition is shameful and something to be covered up (Forcén et al., 2023), which can prevent members of this group from seeking care.

LGBT+ People and Mental Health
Depression and anxiety are particularly prominent among the LGBTQ+ community (Friends Hospital, 2025). Societal and cultural pressures can be extremely stressful for them, particularly people who are transgender. As stated above, people who are transgender are more likely than their cisgender LGBTQ+ peers to experience depression, and suicide rates are highest among people in the transgender community (Friends Hospital, 2025). Current events also affect members of minority groups especially strongly, with 90% of LGBT+ youths saying that the current political climate had negatively impacted their mental health (The Trevor Project, 2024). Those identifying as asexual have also been found to have higher likelihood of depressive symptoms (Lech et al., 2024; Noureddine & Hayes, 2026). It is possible that this is due to the doubt over whether asexuality is a valid orientation (Noureddine & Hayes, 2026), and if so, this illustrates the importance of acceptance and belonging in mental health. People from the LGBTQ+ community face heavy discrimination, which impairs their mental health.
Individuals from the LGBTQ+ community are also more likely to have significant barriers to receiving mental health care (Szkody, 2025). Their parents can potentially be a barrier, especially if their parents are unaware of their sexual and/or gender identity. Half of LGBTQ+ youth said that they had wanted care but were unable to obtain it (The Trevor Project, 2024). There is also the stigma and discrimination that LGBTQ+ individuals can face within the healthcare setting, and many services are not designed to help with their unique struggles (Friends Hospital, 2025).

Disabled People and Mental Health
Another marginalized group that has their mental health impacted by their identity are people who have disabilities. Adults with disabilities have almost five times as much mental distress as those without (CDC, 2025; Cree et al., 2020; Dantzig, 2025). Like with all minorities, it can be difficult to assess when someone with a disability has an anxiety disorder as opposed to it being a response to their experiences. It is also important to note that in the United States, mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, along with neurodivergency, are considered to be disabilities of their own according to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with disabilities can often face social and physical challenges that worsen their mental health (NAMI, n.d.d).
They also can face significant barriers to care. They might be unable to access transportation due to their disability. There is also a heavy stigma associated with having a disability, sometimes held by the mental health practitioner themself. “It is common for people with disabilities to encounter mental health practitioners who share with their patients a belief that people with disabilities need to be ‘fixed,’ cannot function as full members of society or that having a disability is a ‘defect’ rather than a dimension of difference” (NAMI, n.d.d). It can also be difficult to receive mental health care when the disability is physical, and the cost of care is an especially prominent barrier to mental health for the disabled community, particularly if the establishment itself does not abide by the ADA.

Ways to Help
However, there are still ways to help minority groups with mental health support. In every case, the stigma and discrimination faced is a heavy burden on their mental health, so working to combat those things can significantly help. For instance, over three-quarters of LGBTQ+ youth reported that choosing not to vote for candidates who support anti-LGBTQ+ policies and/or policies that affect LGBTQ+ people’s rights, safety, and well-being is one of the strongest ways people can show support and allyship, as well as acceptance of individuals from the community (The Trevor Project, 2024). It can also help to simply reach out and be there. Better education, particularly for mental health practitioners, would also be beneficial to train them specifically in helping marginalized communities.
There are resources available specifically for marginalized communities, such as Inclusive Therapy; Melanin and Mental Health, which specifically focuses on supporting Black and Latinx communities; the AAKOMA Project, which focuses on youth; Mental Health America; and the Trevor Project, which focuses on helping those in the LGBTQ+ community. There are even more resources available at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which is linked in the references along with all the other resources mentioned here.

References
AAKOMA Project. (n.d.). https://aakomaproject.org/
Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (1990).
Cree, R.A., Okoro, C.A., Zack, M.M., & Carbone E. (2020). Frequent mental distress among adults, by disability status, disability type, and selected characteristics — United States, 2018. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(36), 1238-1243. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6936a2
Dantzig, S.A. (2025, October 1). Mental health in people with disabilities: Understanding the challenges and risks. United Cerebral Palsy. https://ucp.org/mental-health-in-people-with-disabilities-understanding-the-challenges-and-risks/
Forcén, F.E., Vélez Flórez, M.C., Bido Medina, R., Zambrano, J., Pérez, J.H., Rodríguez, A.M., & Santos, L.H. (2023). Deconstructing cultural aspects of mental health care in Hispanic/Latinx people. Psychiatric Annals, 53(3), 127-132. https://doi.org/10.3928/00485713-20230215-02
French, M. (2024, September 19). Minority stress model: What it is and why it is important. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/minority-stress-model 
Friends Hospital. (2025, April 14). Common LGBTQ mental health issues. https://friendshospital.com/blog/common-lgbtq-mental-health-issues/
Inclusive Therapists. (n.d.) https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/
Hunt, A. (2024, July 10). Recognizing minority mental health barriers: An honest conversation. Loma Linda University. https://news.llu.edu/health-wellness/recognizing-minority-mental-health-barriers-honest-conversation
Lech, S., Köppe, M., Berger, M., Alonso-Perez, E., Gellert, P., Herrmann, W.,  & Buspavanich, P. (2024). Depressive symptoms among individuals identifying as asexual: A cross-sectional study. Scientific Reports, 14. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-66900-6
Melanin and Mental Health. (n.d.). https://www.melaninandmentalhealth.com/
Mental Health America. (n.d.) Racism and mental health. https://mhanational.org/resources/racism-and-mental-health/
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.) Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander. https://www.nami.org/community-and-culture/asian-american-and-pacific-islander/
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Hispanic/Latinx. https://www.nami.org/community-and-culture/hispanic-latinx/
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). LGBTQ+. https://www.nami.org/community-and-culture/lgbtq/
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). People with disabilities. https://www.nami.org/community-and-culture/people-with-disabilities/
Noureddine, C., & Hayes, S. (2026, January 30). Asexuality and mental health: Why ace recognition by clinicians matters. Psychiatric Times. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/asexuality-and-mental-health-why-ace-recognition-by-clinicians-matters
Office of Minority Health. (2026, May 27). Mental health topic guide. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved July 3, 2026, from https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/mental-behavioral-health-topic-guide
Panchal, N., Hill, L., Artiga, S., & Hamel, L. (2024, May 23). Racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care: Findings from the KFF Survey of Racism, Discrimination and Health. KFF. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/racial-and-ethnic-disparities-in-mental-health-care-findings-from-the-kff-survey-of-racism-discrimination-and-health/
Superior Healthplan. (2023, July 13). Minority Mental Health Awareness month. https://www.superiorhealthplan.com/newsroom/minority-mental-health.html#:~:text=Minority%20Mental%20Health%20Awareness%20Month&text=Racial%20discrimination%2C%20poverty%20and%20other,are%20not%20in%20minority%20groups.
Szkody, E., Sotomayor, I., Hobaica, S., Jans, L., Lopez, C., Pinder, J., & Schleider, J.L. (2025). Barriers to mental health support and recommendations for improvement from the perspectives of LGBTQ+ youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 77(4), 667-678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.06.014
The Trevor Project. (2024). 2024 U.S. national survey on the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024/#
The Trevor Project. (n.d.). https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, December). Labor force characteristics by race and ethnicity, 2023. https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/race-and-ethnicity/2023/
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, April 2). The mental health of people with disabilities. https://www.cdc.gov/disability-and-health/articles-documents/mental-health-of-people-with-disabilities.html