Minoritized youths and families struggle to get supportive early psychosis care
What is it about?
This article summarizes the research around youths from ethnoracially minoritized groups in the US and reviews the research about how they seek help for, enter into, and engage in mental health care when they have symptoms of psychosis. It discusses what we know from the research can be helpful or harmful for young persons and calls for further research that examines the role of socioeconomic factors, takes a more rigorous and critical review of current US racial categories used in research, and takes seriously the challenges faced by minoritized groups in accessing and engaging in mental health care that makes sense and is effective for such young persons experiencing early symptoms of psychosis.
Why is it important?
Young persons who are struggling with psychosis symptoms are at high risk of social isolation, substance use, interpersonal violence, and other negative outcomes like homelessness and emergency hospitalizations. Young persons from ethnoracially minoritized groups seem to be even more at risk according to the research and yet have trouble accessing the support they need. This article lays out what we know about why that may be so.