Strategies for Naming and Addressing Structural Racism in Immigrant Mental Health

Bibliographic Data

ID11037842
AuthorsIvo H Cerda (0000-0003-4992-9841, Ivo H. Cerda is with Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Anjeli R. Macaranas is a student at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Cindy H. Liu is with the Departments of Pediatric Newborn Medicine and Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Justin A. Chen is with the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston.), Anjeli R Macaranas (0000-0003-0443-3711, Ivo H. Cerda is with Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Anjeli R. Macaranas is a student at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Cindy H. Liu is with the Departments of Pediatric Newborn Medicine and Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Justin A. Chen is with the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston.), Cindy H Liu (0000-0001-6985-5961, Ivo H. Cerda is with Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Anjeli R. Macaranas is a student at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Cindy H. Liu is with the Departments of Pediatric Newborn Medicine and Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Justin A. Chen is with the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston.), Justin A Chen (0000-0002-1504-0094, Ivo H. Cerda is with Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Anjeli R. Macaranas is a student at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Cindy H. Liu is with the Departments of Pediatric Newborn Medicine and Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Justin A. Chen is with the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston.)
Year2023
Volume113
IssueS1
PagesS72-S79
Publication date2023-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2022.307165
PMID36696610
OpenAlexW4318037404
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited34

Immigrants account for 13.7% of the US population, and the great majority of these individuals originate from Latin America or Asia. Immigrant communities experience striking inequities in mental health care, particularly lower rates of mental health service use despite significant stressors. Structural barriers are a significant deterrent to obtaining needed care and are often rooted in racist policies and assumptions. Here we review and summarize key pathways by which underlying structural racism contributes to disparities in immigrant mental health, including anti-immigration policies, labor and financial exploitation, and culturally insensitive mental health services. Significant accumulated research evidence regarding these barriers has failed to translate into structural reform and financial investment required to address them, resulting in pronounced costs to both immigrant populations and society at large. We propose specific strategies for addressing relevant structural inequities, including reforming economic and financial policies, community education initiatives, and task-sharing and strengths-based interventions developed in partnership with immigrant communities to promote access to mental health care for populations in dire need of culturally appropriate services. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(S1): S72–S79. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307165 )

Economic growth · Economics · General partnership · Health care · Health equity · Immigration · Mental health · Political science · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Public health · Public relations · Racism · Sociology · Gender Studies · Global Health Workforce Issues · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing · Gerontology

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