July is Bebe Moore Campbell National Mental Health Awareness Month, also known as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Awareness Month, first designated by the US House of Representatives in 2008. This observance brings awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental illness in the United States. It was estimated in 2021 that only 39% of Black or African American adults, 25% of Asian adults, and 36% of Hispanic/Latine adults with any mental illness received treatment, compared to 52% of non-Hispanic white adults. One study suggests that Hispanic/Latine men who identify as LGBTQIA+ experience higher rates of body image disorders than their non-Hispanic peers. According to the Veteran’s Health Administration Department of Veteran Affairs, American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans report experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at double the rate of non-Hispanic white Veterans. And in 2020, suicide was the leading cause of death among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders aged 10 to 19 and was the second leading cause of death among those aged 20 to 34.

BIPOC individuals with mental health conditions have the same rights as people with other disabilities or without disabilities. They have the right to live, work, and play in their communities without barriers. They may require support to participate in their communities, live independently, or take advantage of the same opportunities as their peers. These supports may include workplace accommodations, peer support programs, and culturally-competent mental health programs.

NARIC’s information specialists are often asked for information and resources related to mental health disabilities. This month, we are highlighting evidence-based consumer products from the NIDILRR community for BIPOC with mental health conditions, their families, and service providers, which may include guides, calendars, factsheets, and more.

Below, you will find just a few examples of evidence-based consumer products produced by the NIDILRR community:

• The Temple University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Community Living and Participation of People with Serious Mental Illness (TU Collaborative) advances the development of interventions that maximize community living of people with severe mental illness, including BIPOC, through research and knowledge translation activities. The TU Collaborative’s resources range from general community inclusion resources to discrimination, welcoming communities, and parenting, among others.
• The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) enhances the use of research-based information to improve the lives of and services for people with SCI, TBI, and burn injuries, including BIPOC with these types of injuries. MSKTC produces factsheets that BIPOC with mental health conditions and SCI, TBI, and burn injuries, their families, and service providers can use, including Depression and SCI, Changes in Emotion after TBI, and Psychological Distress after a Burn injury, among others. These and other factsheets are available in Spanish.
• NARIC’s Research In Focus series features reader-friendly summaries of the latest research from NIDILRR-funded projects:
  • Adults with Physical Disabilities from Marginalized Communities Describe Feelings of Fear, Isolation, and Invisibility During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• • Who is Most Likely to Develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After a Spinal Cord Injury?
• • Hispanic Young Adults with Disabilities and Their Families May Face Challenges Transitioning from School to Work.

To learn more about these and other products from the NIDILRR community, contact NARIC’s information specialists.