Social media posts draw attention to mental health services for BIPOC and women

July is Minority Mental Health Month, also known as BIPOC Mental Health Month. In the past week, several social media posts and blog posts called attention to the barriers to mental health care that BIPOC face and shared therapy resources specifically for BIPOC. On July 8, several social media posts shared an announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that the agency will provide $27.5 million to enhance women’s mental health and substance use disorder treatment in the U.S. These posts received little engagement.

Recommendation: Minority Mental Health Month and the DHHS announcement provide an opportunity for health departments, community-based organizations, and other partners to share mental health resources for BIPOC and women, including BIPOC-specific and women-specific support groups and directories for BIPOC therapists. Ensuring that organization members are up to date on cultural competence training is recommended. Continuing to share broad mental health resources—including the 988 suicide prevention hotline and local mental health centers—is also recommended. These conversations also provide an opportunity to push out messaging that outlines mental health warning signs in women.