Vital KC

Mental Health America (MHA), a not-for-profit organization that works to advance the mental health of everyone in the United States, recognizes the importance of resources for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

July marks BIPOC Mental Health Month. Created in 2008, the designation was created “to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face in regard to mental illness in the United States.”

The MHA site covers topics that range from identifying racism in mental healthcare to explaining the importance of culturally-based practices.

Helping to ‘Elevate’ pre-natal care

One of the ways that University Health is working with BIPOC to improve access to mental health is through its Women’s Health services. Did you know that University Health is the only medical center in the region whose high risk pregnancy clinic’s team includes a psychiatrist and psychologist?

And it is also offers group pre-natal care through a program called Elevate. The idea was born at Washington University in St. Louis. It allows pregnant people to go through their prenatal journeys together. It was designed by physicians of color to address the needs of pregnant people of color. Since UH has been offering the program, it has made a huge difference in decreasing negative outcomes for both baby and parent.

To learn more about Elevate, watch this video.

To find out more about UH’s prenatal care give us a call at 816-404-BABY.

Mental Health Disparities Snapshot

(from US Department of Health and Human Services)

• In 2021, it is estimated that only 39% of Black or African American adults, 25% of Asian adults, and 36% of Hispanic/Latino adults with any mental illness were treated, compared to 52 percent of non-Hispanic white adults.
• One study suggests that Hispanic men who identify as LGBTQI+ experience higher rates of body image disorders than Hispanic women, Black and African American men and women, and white men and women who identify as LGBTQI+.
• According to the Veterans Health Administration Department of Veterans Affairs, American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans report experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at double the rate of non-Hispanic white Veterans - 20.5% compared to 11.6%.
• In 2020, suicide was the leading cause of death among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders aged 10 to 19; it was the second leading cause of death among those aged 20 to 34.