Home›Psychiatry› Barriers to mental health care for Black populations include racism, stigma, and socioeconomic determinants
Barriers to mental health care for Black populations include racism, stigma, and socioeconomic determinantsBarriers to mental health care for Black patients identified
Frontiers in MedicinePublished September 5, 2026Study authors: Rondinelli Salvador Silva, Yasmim Souza Rodrigues, Eduardo Sodré de Souza, Bruno Pereira da Silva, L…DOI ↗Editorial oversight: Dr. Ji-eun Park, MD · Brain, Mind & Pain
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Key Takeaway
Recognize that racism, stigma, and socioeconomic factors are primary barriers to care for Black patients with mental disorders.
This scoping review synthesized 254 sources to map the landscape of mental health conditions and barriers to care specifically within the Black population. The review identified a wide range of prevalent disorders, including depressive disorders, substance use disorders, psychosis or schizophrenia, anxiety, bipolar disorder, neurodevelopmental disorders, conduct disorders, and eating disorders. Additionally, the review highlighted significant psychosocial consequences and associated factors such as trauma and suicidality.
Key barriers identified in the synthesis include gendered experiences, limited access to services, socioeconomic determinants, violence, trauma, racism, discrimination, and stigma. These factors represent significant hurdles to equitable care. The authors note that the evidence is geographically concentrated, with 89.0% of sources originating in the United States, which may limit the transferability of findings to diverse Black populations and healthcare contexts worldwide.
While the review identifies critical areas for culturally responsive and antiracist research, it does not establish the effectiveness of specific policies, practices, or interventions. The findings serve as a baseline for identifying priorities in equity-oriented research rather than providing a direct evaluation of clinical protocols.
How this fits prior evidence
This scoping review addresses a gap in understanding the specific barriers to care for the Black population, including racism and stigma. While previous coverage noted that semaglutide and liraglutide are associated with the greatest weight reductions in patients with schizophrenia, this review provides a broader context of the systemic and psychosocial barriers that may affect all patients with schizophrenia and other mental health disorders.
Navigating mental health care can be incredibly difficult, but for many in the Black community, the obstacles are even higher. A review of 254 sources identified common conditions like depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, while also highlighting the systemic barriers that make getting help harder.
Researchers found that factors like gender, lack of access to services, and socioeconomic issues play a major role. Crucially, the study noted that racism, discrimination, and stigma are significant hurdles. These factors can make it harder for patients to receive the care they need for conditions like schizophrenia or eating disorders.
While these findings point toward a need for more culturally responsive and antiracist care, the data has limits. Most of the research came from the United States, which means the results might not apply to all Black populations globally. The study also does not measure how well specific policies or treatments work, but it does highlight where the system needs to change.
What this means for you:
Racism, stigma, and lack of access are major barriers to mental health care for the Black population.
Common questions
What mental health conditions were identified in the study?
The study identified several common conditions, including depressive disorders, substance use disorders, psychosis or schizophrenia, anxiety, bipolar disorder, neurodevelopmental or conduct disorders, trauma, suicidality, and eating disorders.
What are the main barriers to care for Black patients?
The main barriers identified include gender, access to services, socioeconomic determinants, violence, trauma, racism, discrimination, and stigma. These factors can impact how patients access and receive care.
How much of the research came from the United States?
The study noted that 89.0% of the included sources originated in the United States. Because of this, the findings might not apply to all Black populations or healthcare settings worldwide.
Mental disorders, psychiatric diagnosis, DSM/ICD classification, and mental health care represent major sources of global morbidity shaped by biological processes, social stressors, structural racism, inequities, and access barriers. In the Black population, racism, discrimination, social exclusion, and institutional bias may affect recognition, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and psychiatric outcomes. This scoping review aimed to map and summarize the available evidence on mental disorders in the Black population worldwide, highlighting how psychiatric knowledge and mental health care are shaped by racialized social structures.
The review was conducted according to JBI methodology and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Scopus, Embase, PubMed Central, Web of Science, the Virtual Health Library, the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, and ProQuest Theses, with no restrictions on language or publication date. Sources addressing the Black population and mental disorders defined by diagnostic classification systems were included, covering manifestations, diagnoses, associated factors, access to care, interventions, barriers, and psychosocial consequences. Data were extracted using a purpose-built instrument and synthesized through thematic analysis, narrative synthesis, tables, and figures.
A total of 2,131 records were identified; after screening, search updating, and full-text assessment, 254 sources were included. Because 89.0% of included sources originated in the United States, the findings have limited transferability across diverse Black populations and healthcare contexts worldwide. Most sources examined clinical, hospital, outpatient, or healthcare settings, indicating that the mapped evidence primarily reflects formal care environments rather than community contexts. The most frequent disorders were depressive disorders, substance use disorders, psychosis or schizophrenia, anxiety, bipolar disorder, neurodevelopmental or conduct disorders, trauma, suicidality, and eating disorders. The main barriers and associated factors included gender, access to services, socioeconomic determinants, violence, trauma, racism, discrimination, and stigma.
The evidence remains geographically concentrated and predominantly clinical-diagnostic, with limited transferability beyond the populations, services, classification systems, and contexts represented in included sources. These findings identify priorities for culturally responsive, antiracist, and equity-oriented research, but do not establish the effectiveness of specific policies, practices, or interventions.
