By Aayzhia Cruz
Mental illness has been one of the biggest silent epidemics that our generation faces today. It
plagues the mind with symptoms like hallucinations, anxiety, or sorrowness, simply just naming a few. In
fact, a number of individuals have lost their battles to it, thus raising the question on how to combat this
epidemic. It does not target certain individuals, therefore it can plague those that are closest to you
without any warning. With its escalation, society has begun advocating for its awareness and its treatment,
but the issue continues to arise, with 1 in 5 Americans getting diagnosed with a mental illness every year.
Despite these efforts, mental illness continues to affect a large portion of our nation today, thus indicating
that the issues causing it are no longer being addressed, such as racial and economic backgrounds. With
these factors contributing to mental health, it makes the battle incredibly difficult to overcome.
No longer how much we try to deny it, history has continued to repeat itself, especially when it
comes to the injustices that POC communities continue to face even till this day. We have been able to
progress as a society, but movements like “Black Lives Matter” and “Stop Asian Hate” are continuing to
be made to show that prejudices are still affecting our society today. People of color continue to undergo
discrimination and harassment in communities that they once considered safe. In fact, individuals are
getting murdered simply because of their color. Events like this deeply affect the community, thus
continuing to leave them in fear and anxiety. Not only that, but subtle discrimination can occur at such a
young age and can go on to workplaces, eventually taking a toll on mental health. Situations like these are
the biggest reasons why we see POC individuals undergo mental illness a lot more often than those who
aren’t. Therefore, it is incredibly important to spread awareness to individuals who haven’t been taught to
understand the experiences that minorities go through. By doing so, we as a society can help decrease
these numbers. However, we have to acknowledge that awareness can only do so much if action is not
being taken. No matter what age a person of color may be, they will most likely be a victim to a type of
racism and they will carry that with them throughout the rest of their lives, and the effects it has on them
will never be pretty. We need to learn how to provide POC with a community that is supportive to ensure
that these numbers don’t continue to rise.
Since POC communities tend to face economic issues due to historical reasons, they are also
more likely to be denied access to mental healthcare. Many institutions do not accept health insurance
when it comes to treatments like therapy or mental illness prescriptions. This simply just shows the harsh
reality that without the economic resources, it will be a struggle to overcome the battles of the mind.
Money should never be an issue when it comes to mental health no matter how minor or major it is. In
fact, mental health is still a sickness, but it simply cannot just be cured with an antibiotic. It takes time. It
is a learning process. Therefore, when money starts playing a role within its treatment, the number of
uncured mental illnesses continue to rise. When treatment is restricted and only given to those who can
“afford” it, the epidemic of mental health will never go away. As part of the healthcare system,
psychiatrists and therapists need to ensure that mental health care is accessible to everyone no matter what
background they may have.
Mental illness has historically been ignored with many claiming to simply “just deal with it.” But
it has never been that easy. We have seen certain populations face the epidemic in increasingly large
numbers due to discrimination from their skin color and their economic status. As a society, we need to be
better and continue to try and help others without any biases in mind. At the end of the day, we are all
human, and we have the right to take care of ourselves and seek help. Therefore, treatment should never
be restricted because if it is, we will never know whose life will be taken away next.