POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS IS LINKED TO RACE-BASED TRAUMATIC STRESS.
IS MENTAL WELLBEING FOR EVERYONE?
We can’t talk about mental-emotional health without talking about the impacts of discrimination, racism, oppression, fear, injustice, bullying and violence against Black + Brown bodies and hearts.
I was blessed to grow up with two parents who are psychologists. I realize now that it is such a gift to have been immersed in a family where conversations about mental-emotional health, anxiety, depression, panic, fear, worry, loneliness and isolation are normalized. I know now, that this is actually quite revolutionary coming out of mixed-Caribbean families.
42% of Black and Indigenous youth are likely to be suspended before the end of high school.
Schools with a higher % of racialized youth are more likely to have armed officers in the hallways, and are more likely to receive severe consequences for minor infractions. These suspensions contribute to levels of loneliness and isolation and are directly connected to youth being denied access to higher education and higher paying jobs - perpetuating the cycles of poverty and mental health crisis.
We need to end these cycles. If racialized residents are denied access to higher education training programs like psychology, social work, medicine, and alternative medicine programs like naturopathic medicine, nutrition, massage, acupuncture, and fitness, yoga and meditation trainings, it’s nearly impossible for racialized communities to access mental health support from “someone who gets them”. I’ve had to search endlessly for therapists who understand the complexities of mixed-race, intercultural heritage.
We can’t talk about mental-emotional wellbeing without talking about the impacts of systemic racism on our racialized family, friends and community. We can’t talk about mental wellbeing without talking about anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism.
Black, Indigenous + racialized residents including first generation Canadians and refugees are more likely to: Live in poverty + be denied access to culturally-informed therapists, physicians, and wellness practitioners.
Racialized women + racialized trans men are more likely than white women to have a postpartum mental health crisis, including depression and psychosis.
24% of Black Ontarians qualify as “low income” compared to 12% of white Ontarians.
1 in 4 First Nations children live in poverty.
The average suicide rate for Indigenous youth is 5x higher than the rest of the population.
Individuals who experience daily oppression are less likely to receive culturally-relevant healthcare and less likely to live in safe housing.
For many Black and Indigenous youth, the first point of contact with the “mental health” system is the criminal justice system. If you’ve experienced trauma from white police officers or bullying from white classmates, walking into a non-culturally-informed therapists office can feel like trauma. It is trying to receive healing from a system that has oppressed you. Let’s keep learning the facts and amplifying the voices of BIPOC wellness practitioners.
With facts from TAIBU - Living in Colour + Stats Canada.