July marks National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. While millions of people across the country are impacted by mental health, there are disparities.

“I think when we think about mental health in communities of color, we have to understand that it goes beyond just going to the doctor,” said Elizabeth Vásquez.

The associate professor of public health leads the University at Albany’s Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities.

“The center was established to create an infrastructure, or a pipeline of researchers, that emphasize minority health disparities,” she explained.

Experts say there are several factors affecting access to treatment by members of minority groups, including the lack of insurance, language barriers, distrust and a persistent stigma.

“Coming from Sudan, coming from a county that doesn’t really think about mental health or acknowledge the fact it exists, I think it’s important to say it is OK,” said Arafa Adam Djouma,” a UAlbany senior studying public health.

Djouma is part of a summer research effort looking at depression among underrepresented women older than 55.

“Groups that report the most symptoms was the white population, but they’re getting help,” she said of her findings. “The underrepresented groups are suffering in silence and not reporting.”

American Psychiatric Association data from 2015 shows among adults with any mental health illness, 48% of white people received help, 31% of Black people and Hispanics did and 22% of Asians.

“My dad always told me growing up that as a man, you’re going to have stigmas and a lot of barriers when it comes to mental health,” said Myles Alamu, another UAlbany student studying public health.

This summer, Alamu is researching anxiety and depression among older men.

“I found that when it comes to physical abuse, emotional neglect, sexual abuse and the association with mental and substance use disorders, the correlation is stronger with men compared to women,” he said.

It’s all information Vásquez hopes leads to improvements across the board.

“We need more practitioners to represent the communities of color,” she said. “But at the same time, we need more education.”