Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Youth Mental Health

Despite significant progress in research, practice, and policy over the past few decades, many children and youth continue to experience poor mental health outcomes based on their socioeconomic disadvantage, ethnic or racial minority status, or immigrant status. As a result, many of these children fail to adequately meet developmental tasks, demands, and transitions, such as entry into and successful achievement in school, interpersonal and peer relationships, and civic functioning. Compounding these challenges for minority children and youth is their low levels of mental health service utilization, impediments to accessing care, and care that is not culturally competent or does not conform to evidence-based guidelines.

In response to these alarming trends, the APA Committee on Children, Youth and Families developed several resources to address this topic.

• Child and Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health Resolution
  Approved by APA Council in February 2019

• Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Racial and Ethnic Minority Youth: A Guide for Practitioners (PDF, 2.7MB)opens in new window
  A practitioner resource that increases the awareness of mental health disparities among children and youth and the environmental factors contributing to inequality in outcomes and service utilization.

• Promoting Positive Mental Health Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Children: Ensuring and Enhancing Services, Programs and Resources (PDF, 1.5MB)opens in new window
  A policy resource that reviews strategies to promote access and implementation of services that can promote the positive mental health of youth so that they can function well in many different areas of their lives.

• “Disparities in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Mental Health Services in the U.S.” – A William T. Grant Foundation Reportopens in new window
  This report investigates disparities in mental health and mental health services for minority youth. Taking a developmental perspective, the authors explore four areas that may give rise to inequalities in mental health outcomes, highlight specific protective factors and barriers to care and, finally, outline an agenda for future research.

• Webinar: Addressing Mental Health Disparities Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Youthopens in new window
  Presenters: Omar Gudino, PhD, Ana Maria Ros, PhD, and Catherine Santiago, PhD

• Strategies to Enhance Cultural Humility Within the Clinical Encounter (PDF, 490KB)opens in new window
  Presenter: Thema Bryant Davis, PhD

• Enhancing Cultural Humility to Address Mental Health Disparities Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Youth(PDF, 405KB)opens in new window
  Presenter: Royleen Ross, PhD