Barriers to Mental Health Services

There are many barriers to mental health for different cultures and communities. For example within a recent study, researchers looked at LGBTQ+ youth from different racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the United States. Researchers asked each individual about barriers, access to healthcare, and recommendations to current access to mental health resources. Participants were able to elaborate on their own experiences with mental health care within this study.

 

When looking at the results, out of the 808 participants, 501 participants had attempted access to mental health care or resources. When it comes to barriers to accessing mental health care, participants discussed the following as the top answers: parental involvement or needing parental consent, practical concerns such as time and money or therapists wouldn’t take their insurance. Lastly, a big barrier was personal fears that therapists would not be accepting of who they are and fear of discrimination. 

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There are many reasons as to why individuals may not access mental health care. Below is a list of some, but not all barriers that many people face when it comes to accessing mental health services 

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- Financial Cost 

- No insurance coverage 

- Not internet access 

- Geographical location 

- Stigma 

- Discrimination 

- Language Barriers 

- Cultural Competency 

- Mistrust from past therapists 

- Parental Consent needed 

- Not Culturally acceptable to access mental health services  

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(Mansuri, 2024) (Szkody et al. 2024).