This July, We Recognize National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
This article written by Lindsay Griesman (CAS’27) , 2026 CISS Summer Writing Internship Program intern. She is majoring in anthropology with a specialization in Health & Medicine.
July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The month was first recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives back in 2008. New Pathways for Youth, a non-profit based out of Phoenix that advocates for youth wellbeing and mental health, highlights that the month is a time to “raise awareness regarding the unique mental health experiences and challenges that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental illness in the United States.”
The month honors Bebe Moore Campbell, an advocate whose work in Black communities helped break the stigma surrounding mental illness for many marginalized groups. Having faced mental health challenges in her own family, she fought to shed light on the mental health needs of underrepresented populations with the hope of rallying community members together to support one another. She cofounded the National Alliance on Mental Illness Urban LA and challenged the status quo, fighting to make voices of people of color heard. Her legacy is everlasting.
Generational trauma and additional factors like financial and food insecurity, language barriers, discrimination, access to healthcare, and cultural stigma are all contributors to the lived experience of minority groups and can influence whether a person receives the mental health care they need. The FDA reports that “In 2020, fewer than one in every two African American adults got care for mental health. In 2018, Asian Americans were 60 percent less likely to receive mental health treatment than non-Hispanic Whites.” These statistics demonstrate that many people in minoritized communities are less likely to have access to mental health support despite experiencing similar or greater levels of need than predominantly white populations.
This July, we continue to celebrate National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Together, we can use our voices for positive change and give a platform to uplift one another so that communities may become healthier and get the care they need. To learn more about the month and you can contribute, visit https://www.nami.org/stay-connected/events/awareness-events/bebe-moore-campbell-national-minority-mental-health-awareness-month/
Here are BU researchers who are making important contributions to our understanding of racial and ethnic disparities in mental health. Meet each of the reviewers, and read an example of their recent research.
Black Men’s Mental Health: Daniel Jacobson Lopez (SSW) is working with Charles Daniels, founder of Fathers’ UpLift (an organization dedicated to helping Black fathers), to create spaces where Black men can openly discuss mental health. The project focuses on reducing stigma and building community support by promoting relevant mental health resources and investigating whether current upper-level education systems include the skillsets necessary for effective counseling.
Jacobson López, D., García, A., Engel, R., Hawkins, M., Nelson, L., & Jackson, J. L., Jr. (2026). “If I Was Straight and White It Would Be Different”: The Effects of Racism and Homophobia on the Reporting Process Among Gay Latino Male Sexual Assault Survivors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/08862605251403609
This article shows that racism, homophobia, and gendered stereotypes combine to make gay Latino male sexual assault survivors far less likely to report their assaults. Through interviews with 14 men, the study reveals that fears of being judged, blamed, or disbelieved (especially about masculinity) create significant barriers to seeking help. It demonstrates how intersecting marginalized identities shape survivors’ experiences and underscores the need for culturally responsive reporting systems.
Racial Discrimination and Mental Health: Sarah Lipson (SPH) collaborated with other researchers to determine if trauma symptoms of racial discrimination are associated with mental health symptoms in college students of color. Using data from more than 19,000 students nationwide, the team found that racism-based trauma symptoms were associated with higher rates of depression and an increased likelihood of suicidal ideation. The findings highlight the importance of recognizing racial discrimination as a significant contributor to mental health and expanding culturally responsive support for students of color.
Christensen, J.D., Delgado, J.A. & Lipson, S.K. (2026) Mental health and loneliness among international graduate students: a retrospective cross-sectional study of healthy minds data from 2021 to 2023. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-026-03156-7
This article shows that loneliness is strongly linked to depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among graduate students, and that this relationship is especially pronounced for international students. It finds that international students experience higher rates of loneliness and anxiety compared to domestic students.
Discrimination and Anxiety/Depression: Monica Wang (SPH) investigated the connection between everyday experiences with racial discrimination and anxiety and depression among adults in the US. She found that frequent discrimination was linked to significantly higher rates of screening positive for anxiety, depression, or both, reinforcing how widespread a public health issue discrimination is, with severe consequences for mental well-being across all racial and ethnic groups.
Wang ML, Narcisse M. (2025). Discrimination, Depression, and Anxiety Among US Adults. JAMA Network Open.
doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.2404
This article shows that experiencing everyday discrimination is strongly linked to higher odds of depression and anxiety among US adults. Using national survey data from more than 20 million weighted respondents, the study finds that even small increases in discrimination significantly raise the likelihood of screening positive for anxiety, depression or both. It also shows that these effects vary across racial and ethnic groups, underscoring the need for more targeted mental-health evaluation and awareness.