Issue Category: Health Equity/Social Determinants of Health

TFAH Applauds the Re-introduction of The Social Determinants of Health Act in Congress

(Washington, DC – February 29) – Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a non-partisan, independent public health policy, research, and advocacy organization, applauds the introduction of the Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2024 for the critical ways it would address the social, economic, and environmental conditions that affect health and well-being and would drive improved health for millions of Americans.

If enacted, the bill would codify and expand the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through grants to public health departments and community organizations, the program would help build multisector collaborations to address non-medical drivers of health. Grants would also be issued to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to conduct research on SDOH best practices, provide technical training, evaluation assistance, and/or disseminate those best practices. Lastly, the program would coordinate, support, and align SDOH activities at CDC.

The President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, congratulates Rep. Barragán and Senators Smith and Murphy on the introduction of the bill:

“Social determinants of health, including housing, employment, food security, transportation, and education, contribute significantly to people’s health outcomes over their lifetime. Communities need more flexible and cross-cutting resources to address these factors that if unaddressed can lead to poor health. CDC’s SDOH program has already assisted dozens of communities in creating SDOH plans and now needs the resources to allow additional grantees to implement community-tailored plans.

Public health plays an important role in convening partners from different sectors and trusted community leaders to address these non-medical drivers of health. This legislation is an important step in improving health outcomes, reducing overall healthcare spending, and helping reduce health disparities. TFAH is proud to support this bill.”

TFAH’s summary of the bill can be found here.   For more information on The Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2023, please contact Madison West at [email protected].

 

In addition to TFAH, original endorsing national organizations include:

New York State Public Health Association AAHFN Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics AcademyHealth
Access Care Anywhere AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services AIDS Alabama Aligning for Health
America Walks American Association of Colleges of Nursing American Association on Health and Disability American College of Medical Toxicology
American College of Nurse-Midwives American College of Physicians American College of Preventive Medicine American Heart Association
American Medical Women’s Association American Physical Therapy Association Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Association of State Public Health Nutritionists Bariatrix Fitness &Functional Training BDS HEALTHY AGING NETWORKS, INC.
Big Cities Health Coalition Bike Cleveland Bridges Into the Future Brighter Beginnings
Burke County Health Department Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of Elders (CARIE) Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Community Resilience Center for Promotion of Child Development through Primary Care Center for Whole Health Learning in K-12 Ceres Community Project
CHAMPS GPO ChangeLab Solutions Children’s HealthWatch Christian Council of Delmarva
Civitas Networks for Health Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness Community Health Council of Wyandotte County
Continual Care Solutions Council on Aging for Henderson County Counter Tools Deborah’s Place
Dia de la Mujer Latina Inc DuPage County Health Department Epilepsy Foundation Epilepsy Information Service of Wake Forest School of Medicine
Equality California Fact Forward Flint Rising Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice
Greater Chicago Food Depository Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Inc Haleon Hartsfield Health Systems Consulting
Health by Design Health Improvement Collaborative of Southeastern Connecticut Health Outreach Partners Health Resources in Action
Healthy Alliance Healthy Little Havana HealthyWomen Human Impact Partners
I AM HEALTH EDUCATION Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness Indiana Public Health Association Indy Hunger Network
Inner Explorer International OCD Foundation Japanese American Citizens League Lakeshore Foundation
Lanai Community Health Center League of American Bicyclists Ledge Light Health District Linn County Public Health
Louisiana Obesity Society Lutheran Services in America Maine Public Health Association Maternal and Child Health Access
Mel Leaman Free Clinic Metropolitan Area Planning Council MIKE Program Miles for migraine
MindWise Innovation Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs (MCLA) Minnesota Public Health Association MKE FreshAir Collective
MountainCare Move United NASTAD National Alliance to Impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH)
National Association for Public Health Policy National Association of Counties (NACo) National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners National Association of School Nurses
National Association of Social Workers National Community Action Partnership National Foundation for Infectious Diseases National League for Nursing
National Network of Public Health Institutes National Nurse-Led Care Consortium National Recreation and Park Association Nemours Children’s Health
Nevada Public Health Association New York State Public Health Association NJ Public Health Association OCS eWellness
Partnership to End Addiction Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation Pennsylvania Public Health Association
Postpartum Support International Prevent Blindness Prevent Blindness Georgia Prevent Blindness North Carolina
Prevent Blindness Wisconsin Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association Public Health Foundation Public Health Institute
Public Health Solutions Richmond County Health Department Safe Routes Partnership Safe States Alliance
Sage Transformations Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange Healthcare Foundation SLM Consulting, LLC Society for Public Health Education
Society for Social Work Leadership in Healthcare Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education Southeastern Michigan Health Association Stratis Health
Summit County Family Resource Center Susan G. Komen Telosity Ventures Texas Health Resources
Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility The AIDS Institute The American College of Preventive Medicine The Center for Health Affairs (Cleveland Hospital Association)
The Foundation for Sustainable Communities The Gerontological Society of America The Joy Labs The Kennedy Forum
The Praxis Project Treatment Action Group Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region Valley AIDS Council
Visible Network Labs Voices of Hope, Inc. Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility Washington State Public Health Association
Wholespire Inc Zero Breast Cancer

 

Black History Month Spotlight: National Council of Negro Women and Good Health WINs Initiative

February marks Black History Month, and the theme for this year celebrates Black artists as ‘agents of change.’

The National Council of Negro Women’s Good Health Women’s Immunizations Networks (Good Health WINS) initiative, of which Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) is a founding member, has certainly been an agent of change in the art of public health. The historic national organization’s efforts to bolster vaccinations among African Americans and counter misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic were important to reaching and educating Black families and communities across the country.

The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) was founded in 1935 by legendary philanthropist, civil rights activist, and suffragist Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune as a vehicle to empower African American women, their families, and communities. It has historically served as an umbrella organization for a network of chapters and groups advancing Black women civically, politically, and economically. The organization and its revered leaders have provided housing and education for women, particularly in the South, and been recognized for its influence and measured approach to policy advocacy.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization furthered its leadership on the front lines of promoting and protecting the health of communities of color, particularly as the first COVID-19 vaccines began to rollout. Fears, mistrust, inequitable distribution, barriers to access and misinformation led to African Americans initially having much lower vaccination rates than other populations.

In 2021, NCNW partnered with TFAH, Vaccinate Your Family (VYF) – a collaborative that drew on its partners’ expertise and reach to provide culturally-specific educational and messaging resources to its communities.

The initiative elevated voices trusted in Black communities to provide crucial information about vaccines at a time when past racial medical injustices, such as the Tuskegee experiments, were being used against the new vaccines. Good Health WINs produced how-to videos for social media and fact sheets. In its first year alone, the nationwide network hosted nearly 1,500 vaccination events, reaching 750,000 people.

COVID-19 vaccination rates are now higher for African American adults than their white counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), largely due to Good Health WINs and efforts like it. At the end 2023, nearly 83 percent of African Americans received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 80 percent of white Americans who received at least one dose.

NCNW’s ability to build and facilitate this coalition has been instrumental to its wide reach. NCNW itself is a collaborative of 36 national organizations that serve the Black community. Many chapters of historically Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities are part of the NCNW/Good Health WINs network. Lifelong community service is an integral part of membership for these Pan-Hellenic organizations. The network also includes many faith-based organizations with sophisticated external marketing capabilities, such as the Alfred Street Baptist Church.

“We were facing a pandemic unprecedented in our lifetimes that, because of longstanding social determinants of health, posed an existential threat to African Americans,” said NCNW President and CEO Reverend Shavon Arline-Bradley. “Fortunately, our network and experience, including with HIV/AIDS education, equipped us to act quickly and decisively.  We appreciate the support of Trust for America’s Health, Vaccinate Your Family, the Centers for Disease Control, Moss Consulting, our dedicated employees and tens of thousands of volunteers who support Good Health WINs.”

To date, more than 600,000 people have attended Good Health WINs events, and it has reached over 1.4 million people on social media with its science-based information about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, according to the organization.

Good Health WINs provides communications toolkits for its members and circulates success stories from local chapters with the rest of the network.

The community engagement expertise of the NCNW, combined with the public health expertise of TFAH, CDC, and VYF, has been a fruitful recipe for raising awareness on other critical health needs in Black communities. The work now includes efforts to provide immunization resources for seasonal viruses and other diseases, as well as publicizing other health and wellness events, particularly around preventing heart disease.

“Outreach efforts that authentically and meaningfully seek to empower its constituents is an artform that the National Council of Negro Women has long mastered and that the country needs to achieve health equity,” said TFAH President and CEO Dr. J. Nadine Gracia. “Partnerships with community-based organizations that are trusted in their communities, supported by funding and resources to implement effective programs, are essential to promote optimal health, reduce health disparities, and advance health equity.”

Promoting Health Equity Through Economic Opportunity

A person’s economic well-being can be a driver of their mental and physical health, while an individual’s overall health status can affect their income and economic well-being. One example of how overall health and economic well-being are connected was the COVID-19 pandemic, as people in the United States simultaneously experienced health and economic crises. While current unemployment rates are among historic lows, the uneven economic recovery spotlights the degree to which household financial security remains fragile in America, particularly along racial and socioeconomic divides. States are uniquely positioned to take action to fill gaps in the economic security safety net and adopt innovative solutions to help communities thrive.

A panel of subject experts discussed the impact of COVID-19 pandemic financial assistance programs and opportunities to enact evidence-based policies to further address the economic needs of communities, improve their financial stability, and promote their health and well-being.

Resources

TFAH’s President and CEO Dr. Gracia Discusses the Significance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day & National Day of Racial Healing

(Washington, DC – January 15, 2024) – This week TFAH’s President and CEO, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia and Director of Strategic Communications and Policy Research Rhea Farberman discussed the significance of two important observances, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the National Day of Racial Healing. The conversation focused on the intersections between Dr. King’s mission to advance social justice and TFAH’s work to promote optimal health. Also discussed were the ways in which structural racism creates barriers to good health for many people of color and the policy actions needed to dismantle those barriers.

“What we know, especially in thinking about this in terms of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the National Day of Racial Healing, is that for too many people of color and communities of color there has been, over many decades, a disadvantage in terms of access to health promoting resources.”

“We have to act with a sense of urgency because the health, well-being and prosperity of our nation depends on it.  That’s the call that I believe Dr. King would challenge us to continue, to strive for and not relent.  That’s his legacy to us, to ensure that everyone us the opportunity to reach their full potential for health.”

Dr. J. Nadine Gracia
President and CEO
Trust for America’s Health

“Listen to the full conversation”

 

Over Thirty Health and Child Wellness Organizations Endorse the Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences Act

(Washington, DC – October 23, 2023) – Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have long-lasting health impacts over the lifetime of an individual. Research shows a connection between the number of ACEs an individual experiences and their risk for negative health outcomes like asthma, diabetes, cancer, substance use, and suicide in adulthood. A recent CDC study of data from across the United States found that around two thirds of adults reported at least one ACE, and one in six reported four or more ACEs. CDC estimates that the prevention of ACEs could avoid 21 million cases of depression and 1.9 million cases of heart disease.

The Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences Act, introduced by Sen. Angus King and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, is a bipartisan effort to support critical efforts at CDC to prevent ACEs and promote positive childhood experiences through grants for data-driven, evidenced-based strategies. It would also support new research on the impact of ACEs with a focus on the frequency and intensity of ACEs, the relationship between ACEs and negative health outcomes, and the influence of risk and protective factors.

TFAH is proud to join with over 30 health and child wellness organizations to support the bill.  Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, stated: “Given the connection between ACEs and the risk of overdose and suicide, it is critical that we invest in efforts to prevent ACEs in all communities. This important legislation would support research to build upon our previous understanding of trauma and ACEs and give communities the tools to help protect children and promote lifelong health and well-being.”

 2023 PACE Act Senate HELP Support Letter

Nuevo informe: Las tasas de obesidad en adultos continua en aumentando, particularmente en comunidades que enfrentan dificultades para lograr una alimentación saludable y tienen menos oportunidades para realizar actividad física

El vigésimo informe anual revela que 22 estados presentan niveles de obesidad en adultos superiores al 35 por ciento

(Washington, DC – 21 de septiembre del 2023) – Según el nuevo informe, publicado el día de hoy sobre el Estado de la obesidad 2023: Mejores políticas para una América más saludable (State of Obesity 2023: Better Policies for a Healthier America), demuestra que la cantidad de adultos en los Estados Unidos con obesidad sigue aumentando. Dicho informe es la vigésima edición anual producida por Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), el cual examina las causas fundamentales del aumento de las tasas de obesidad en el país y hace recomendaciones de políticas para abordarlas.

De acuerdo con el análisis de TFAH de los datos más recientes del Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC, por sus siglas en inglés) y del Sistema de Vigilancia de Factores de Riesgo del Comportamiento, en el 2022, 22 estados tenían una tasa de obesidad en adultos igual o superior al 35 por ciento, en comparación a 19 estados registrados el año anterior. Hace una década atrás, no se registraba una tasa de obesidad igual o superior del 35 por ciento en ningún estado.

Virginia Occidental (41%), Luisiana (40,1%), Oklahoma (40,0%) y Mississippi (39,5%) tienen las tasas más altas de obesidad en adultos. El Distrito de Columbia (24,3%), Colorado (25,0%) y Hawaii (25,9%) tienen las tasas más bajas de obesidad en adultos.

En las últimas dos décadas, las tasas de obesidad han aumentado en todos los grupos de población, y ciertas poblaciones de color experimentan las tasas más altas, a menudo debido a dificultades de estructura referente a una alimentación saludable y a la falta de oportunidades y lugares para estar físicamente activo.

Los resultados de la data en el informe de la Encuesta Nacional de Examen de Salud y Nutrición (NHANES) 2017-2020 rastrean las tendencias de la obesidad a nivel nacional y dentro de los grupos de población. A nivel nacional, el 41,9 por ciento de los adultos tienen obesidad. Los adultos negros, latinos y las personas que viven en comunidades rurales tienden a tener las tasas más altas de obesidad.

  • Los adultos negros tienen el nivel más alto de obesidad adulta con un 49,9 por ciento.
  • Los adultos hispanos tienen una tasa de obesidad del 45,6 por ciento.
  • Los adultos blancos tienen una tasa de obesidad del 41,4 por ciento.
  • Las zonas rurales del país tienen mayores índices de obesidad que las zonas urbanas y suburbanas.

Las tasas de obesidad también están aumentando entre los niños y adolescentes: casi el 20 por ciento de los niños estadounidenses de 2 a 19 años tienen obesidad según los datos de NHANES de 2017-2020. Estas tasas se han más que triplicado desde mediados de la década de 1970, siendo los jóvenes negros y latinos los que tienen las tasas de obesidad sustancialmente más altas que sus pares blancos.

Una comprensión en evolución de la obesidad

Desde la primera publicación del informe de TFAH en el 2004, la tasa nacional de obesidad en adultos ha aumentado en un 37 por ciento y la tasa nacional de obesidad juvenil aumentó en un 42 por ciento. Los aumentos generalizados muestran que la obesidad es un problema que afecta a toda la sociedad a nivel poblacional, es decir, que tiene sus raíces en factores sociales y ambientales, lo que significa que a menudo están más allá de la elección individual. TFAH concluye que resolver la crisis de obesidad del país requerirá abordar los factores económicos y estructurales que impactan el lugar donde vive la gente y su acceso al empleo, el transporte, la atención médica, alimentos asequibles y saludables, y lugares para estar físicamente activo.

En los últimos 20 años, se han logrado avances importantes en la comprensión de que la obesidad es una enfermedad y cómo prevenirla, entendiendo el papel que desempeñan los determinantes sociales de la salud y las desigualdades en el ámbito salubre a la hora de impulsar las tasas de obesidad. Además, la implementación de muchas políticas y programas relacionados con la obesidad, brindando un mayor acceso y beneficios dentro de los programas de apoyo nutricional, tienen un historial comprobado de éxito, pero se necesita una mayor inversión para llegar a más personas y comunidades.

“Es fundamental reconocer que la obesidad es una enfermedad multifactorial que involucra mucho más que el comportamiento individual”, dice J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., MSCE, presidente y director ejecutivo de Trust for America’s Health. “Para detener la tendencia de décadas de aumentar las tasas de obesidad, debemos reconocer que la crisis de la obesidad tiene sus raíces en desigualdades económicas, sanitarias y ambientales. Garantizar que todas las personas y comunidades tengan oportunidades equitativas y acceso a alimentos saludables y actividad física es fundamental para abordar esta crisis”.

Abordar la obesidad es fundamental porque está asociada con una variedad de enfermedades, como diabetes tipo 2, enfermedades cardíacas, accidentes cerebrovasculares, artritis, apnea del sueño y algunos cánceres. Se estima que la obesidad aumenta el gasto sanitario en Estados Unidos en 170.000 millones de dólares al año (incluidos miles de millones de Medicare y Medicaid).

Recomendaciones para abordar la crisis de la obesidad

El informe propone un plan de acción, promoviendo ciertas recomendaciones para ser consideradas por funcionarios federales, estatales, locales y otras partes interesadas en cinco áreas en particular:

  • Promover la equidad en salud dedicando estratégicamente recursos federales a esfuerzos que reduzcan las disparidades relacionadas con la obesidad y las condiciones relacionadas, incluso aumentando la financiación para los programas de prevención de enfermedades crónicas y obesidad de los CDC.
  • Disminuir la inseguridad nutricional y al mismo tiempo mejorar la calidad nutricional de los alimentos disponibles. Las medidas de acción incluyen garantizar comidas escolares saludables para todos los estudiantes, aumentar el acceso al Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y otros programas de apoyo nutricional, e implementar un sistema obligatorio de etiquetado frontal en los envases de alimentos para ayudar a los consumidores a tomar decisiones informadas.
  • Cambiar las estrategias de marketing y precios que conducen a disparidades en materia de salud, incluido el cierre de lagunas fiscales y la eliminación de las deducciones de costos comerciales por anunciar alimentos no saludables a los niños.
  • Hacer que la actividad física y el entorno construido sean más seguros y accesibles para todos. Las medidas de acción incluyen aumentar los fondos federales para la educación para apoyar la salud y la educación física en las escuelas e invertir en proyectos donde la gente pueda transportarse activamente por senderos para peatones y bicicletas.
  • Trabajar en el sistema de atención médica para reducir las disparidades sociales y aumentar el acceso al seguro médico mediante la expansión de Medicaid, haciendo que los seguros en el mercado sean más asequibles, ampliando los exámenes de atención médica para las necesidades sociales.

Acceda al informe completo

 

Trust for America’s Health es una organización no partidista y sin fines de lucro que promueve una salud óptima para cada persona y comunidad y hace de la prevención de enfermedades y lesiones una prioridad nacional. www.tfah.org

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. This annual observance is designed to remind everyone that staying up to date on vaccinations is an important way to protect not only their health but the health of everyone around them.

Vaccines are a public health success story. Today, we are fortunate to have a broad spectrum of safe and effective vaccines, which if received on schedule, protect patients of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases. Current vaccines protect against childhood disease including chicken pox, measles, and whooping cough, while protecting adults from the flu, Tdap, and shingles. Vaccines have also eradicated or nearly eradicated life-threatening diseases, such as smallpox and polio.

Children as young as 1-2 months old should be vaccinated against childhood illnesses and school-age children may need vaccine updates before they can return to school this fall. Ensuring that every child sees their doctor for a well-child visit and to receive any needed vaccine or vaccine updates is one of the best ways a parent can protect their child’s health and that of the community. Because the immunity created by a vaccine can lessen overtime, it’s important that children receive their vaccines on the recommended schedule. Adults may also need vaccine updates or to receive recently approved vaccines such as the RSV vaccine for adults 60 years of age and older.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, routine childhood vaccination levels among school-age children in the U.S. decreased, likely due to missed well-child medical visits. Globally, a report by UNICEF and the World Health Organization found that childhood vaccination coverage worldwide increased with about 4 million more children receiving full immunizations in 2022 compared to 2021, but were still below pre-pandemic levels.

Vaccines meet strict safety and effectiveness measures
In the U.S., safety measures are strict and prioritized to ensure that vaccines are safe for patients. Before any vaccine is approved for use, it is tested for safety and effectiveness through clinical trials and then must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. While some people experience mild side effects after receiving a vaccine, such as swelling at the shot area, mild fevers and chills, serious reactions are extremely rare. Overall, the safety of all vaccines is closely monitored to ensure their continued safe use. If patients have questions about a vaccine including any potential side effects, they should speak to their healthcare provider.

Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information on vaccine safety and for child and adult immunization schedules.

 

 

Centuries of Systemic Racism Has Created Distinct Mental Health Challenges for Minority Communities

In 2008, July officially became National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, originally designated as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month by the United States House of Representatives. Until her passing in 2006, Bebe Moore Campbell was an author, advocate, co-founder of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Urban Los Angeles, and a national spokesperson, dedicating herself tirelessly to promoting mental health education and eradicating stigma within diverse communities. National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed to recognize the distinct hardships that members of minority communities often face concerning their mental health.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, in 2021, “only 39 percent of Black or African American adults, 25 percent of Asian adults, and 36 percent of Hispanic/Latino adults with any mental illness were treated, compared to 52 percent of non-Hispanic white adults.” The 2023 Pain in the Nation Report by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), also found an increase in suicide mortality “by 4 percent between 2020 and 2021 with the highest increases among American Indian/Alaska Native and Black people.” In addition, TFAH’s report also explained that youth who were American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Latino, and multiracial had the “highest rates of poor mental health behavior and/or suicidal behaviors compared to other groups in 2021.”

Minority communities experience these disparities in mental health outcomes and care due to factors that are beyond their control. Among other social determinants of health (SDOH), discrimination and economic insecurity contribute to the disparities in access and treatment that members of minority communities can encounter.

Cultural and social stigma around mental health issues among minority communities also contributes to poor mental health outcomes in these populations and can act as barriers to necessary mental healthcare. Systemic racism and discrimination present in the healthcare field and among healthcare professionals also prevent individuals of various racial and ethnic groups from receiving the best mental health treatment available. Negative experiences due to these factors can undermine trust in healthcare professionals and result in patients feeling ignored despite serious mental health issues, which can deter patients from seeking or staying in treatment. Lack of trust can also arise from difficulties patients experience in finding providers from the same ethnic or racial group who share similarities in culture, literacy, and language.

Minority individuals are also more likely to be uninsured, raising financial barriers to seeking and receiving mental healthcare. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, for example, “Nonelderly American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) and Hispanic people had the highest uninsured rates at 21.2% and 19.0%, respectively as of 2021.”

Policy recommendations to address these disparities and barriers can range from prevention efforts, increases in funding, and systemic improvements to the healthcare system. Policy recommendations by TFAH to advance health equity include enacting and funding the Health Equity and Accountability Act, as well as increasing funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program and its Healthy Tribes program to provide support for all approved applicants. As mentioned in TFAH’s Pain in the Nation Report, TFAH also recommends that Congress support policies and programs that address SDOH to better implement interventions at both an individual and community level; this should include increased CDC funding and a greater emphasis on the importance of screening for SDOH in the healthcare system. Continuous efforts to reduce stigma and bring positive messaging will also encourage individuals in minority communities to seek mental health screening and care. Efforts to ensure accessible mental healthcare, including through enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and passage of the Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act, should also be prioritized.

Mental health is a critical public health issue. It is important to understand and recognize the mental health disparities and unique struggles faced by racial and ethnic groups to better help these populations overcome mental health barriers. Acknowledging that minority communities continue to face disproportionate mental health challenges–and responding accordingly on the federal level–can increase awareness of this public health issue and help ensure individuals in minority communities achieve optimal health.