Column on Racism and Mental Health Equity in Psychiatric Services
Drs. Crystal L. Brandow and Margaret Swarbrick, of the Rutgers Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies Wellness in Recovery (WinR) Addiction Advocacy Research Fellowship Program, are published in Psychiatric Services, now available online in the Racism & Mental Health Equity Column. Improving Black Mental Health: A Collective Call to Action highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates longstanding structural issues, such as racism and trauma, that prevent Black people from accessing and receiving high-quality mental health services. The authors call for a Wellness First approach to mobilize collective action among individuals, providers, organizations, funders, and policy makers to create equitable opportunities that not only promote healing, but that prevent further trauma in Black communities. They suggest important anti-racism practices and approaches to improve Black mental health.
The column is available from Psychiatric Services.
For more on A Wellness First Approach, see Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, Volume 21, Issue 1.