Pass the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act
Recommendation
Congress should pass the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act, which would require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to develop and implement an outreach and education strategy in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community to promote mental health and reduce stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUD).[1][2]
Background/summary
In 2021, only 25 percent of AANHPI individuals with a mental health condition received any treatment, according to SAMHSA. To increase well-being and access to services in underserved populations, culturally and linguistically-competent approaches are needed that recognize each community’s unique history and culture.[3][4][5][6] Policymakers must work to address systemic barriers that prevent underserved communities from accessing mental health services and supports, including stigma, limited culturally and linguistically appropriate care, and insufficient population-specific research.[1][2]
By passing the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act,[1][2] Congress can advance a broad-based national outreach and education strategy that is still tailored to meet the needs of underserved AANHPI communities.
citations
1. Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act. H.R.3680 (Chu) and S.1773 (Hirono), 118th Congress (2023-2024). Last Updated May 2023.
2. “Rep. Chu and Rep. Napolitano Joined by Sen. Hirono in First Bicameral Introduction of the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act during AANHPI Heritage Month”. 2023. Congresswoman Judy Chu. Last Updated May 31, 2023.
3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health and Services Administration. Highlights by Race/Ethnicity for the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Last Accessed July 27, 2023.
4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prioritizing Minority Mental Health. Last Updated June 27, 2023.
5. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Mental Health Inequities: Racism and Racial Discrimination. Last Accessed July 27,2023.
6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institute of Mental Health. Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity – A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. 2001.