Racism and Mental Health Equity: History Repeating Itself

Abstract

With a growing understanding of how racism negatively affects the mental health of patients, mental health professionals are as anxious to act as they are uncertain about the best path forward. This uncertainty persists even though thoughtful, actionable antiracist recommendations in psychiatry were made 50 years ago. Mental health professionals can take several antiracist actions, including acknowledging individual and structural racism through an examination of racist policies, to achieve mental health equity. The mental health field must take these actions collectively so that history does not continue to repeat itself.

Keywords: Public policy issues; Racial-ethnic disparities; Structural racism; mental health inequities.