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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH IN COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, the month of July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a month-long initiative to bring awareness to the unique mental health struggles of all racial and ethnic minorities across the country; and
WHEREAS, National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month was brought before Congress, to be formally recognized on June 2, 2008, in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell with the goal of bringing forth solutions to the unique mental health struggles of racial and ethnic minorities; and
WHEREAS, in Mental Health America’s 2022 state ranking report, Illinois ranked 12th overall which indicates lower prevalence of mental illness and higher rates of access to care; and
WHEREAS, despite Illinois’s high overall ranking, according to an article published in BMC Public Health, many minority groups in Illinois have disproportionate differences in access to health care which affects their health-related quality of life; and
WHEREAS, despite experiencing mental health issues at a similar rate to white Americans, only about 1 in 3 Black and Hispanic Americans receive mental health care; and
WHEREAS, poverty level impacts mental health status and improving a person's economic situation reduces their risk of anxiety and depression, as evidenced by Black and Hispanic Americans living below poverty level being twice as likely to report serious psychological distress than Black and Hispanic Americans living over twice the poverty level; and
WHEREAS, Black and Hispanic Americans are overrepresented in poverty compared to population percentage due to inequitable historical practices; and
WHEREAS, according to a systemic review and meta-analysis published in BMC Public Health, racial minorities experienced more stigma than racial majorities for common mental disorders and according to an article published in The Commonwealth Fund, 70% of Black Americans say they have been mistreated by America’s health care system and 55% of Black Americans say they distrust it; and
WHEREAS, provider bias is a cause of mental health disparities among minorities, documented by a 2019 American Psychological Association report stating that 83% of psychologists are white while only 17% are minorities, and a study published by the American Psychological Association found that while most psychologists received cultural training only 37% went through a program that allowed them to engage with other cultures; and
WHEREAS, in the same study, when asked, participants expressed that clinical experiences were more important than training in terms of creating culturally competent psychologists; and
WHEREAS, this Honorable Body wishes to raise awareness to the issues presented herein by promoting National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in Cook County;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the more than 5.2 million residents of Cook County, do hereby take this opportunity to acknowledge National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, in conjunction with National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month that the month of July be hereby declared as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in the County of Cook; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body in recognition of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.
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