BIPOC Mental Health Month is a powerful reminder that healing isn’t the same for everyone. What if the care you needed truly understood your culture, your story, and your struggles? 

Let’s explore why that matters and how better understanding can lead to better support.

What Does BIPOC Mean?

BIPOC (pronounced “bye-pock”) stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. This term brings together different racial and ethnic groups who have often been treated unfairly in history and society. 

In 2020, YWCA chose to start using the term BIPOC instead of “people of color” in their messages. This change helps shine a light on the unique and deeper discrimination that Black and Indigenous people often face, especially when it comes to health and well-being.

When we talk about mental health, these differences matter. People in BIPOC communities often deal with stress from racism, discrimination, poverty, and being treated as outsiders. This kind of stress can lead to anxiety, depression, or trauma, but it’s not always recognized or treated in the right way.

For example:

• Black communities might face stigma around talking about mental health and may also be misdiagnosed more often by doctors who don’t understand their cultural background.
  
• Indigenous communities carry the deep pain of losing land, language, and traditions, which can affect mental health for generations.
  
• Asian, Latino, and other communities of color may deal with cultural pressure to stay silent about emotions or avoid asking for help.

These real-life experiences shape how people feel, cope, and heal. That’s why understanding what BIPOC means and listening to each group’s story is so important when we talk about mental health. Everyone deserves care that sees their full story, not just their symptoms.

The Impact of Racial Trauma and Systemic Injustice on Mental Well-Being

While it influences day-to-day life, racism also deeply affects mental health, often in subtle yet enduring ways.

1. Historical and Ongoing Causes of Hurt

BIPOC communities face mental health harm not only from recent events like police violence and workplace bias, but also from generations of oppression. For example, Indigenous and Black communities live with transgenerational trauma, which is emotional wounds passed down from events like slavery or forced displacement.¹

2. Daily Discrimination Builds Up Stress

Everyday racism, such as having assumptions made about you, being ignored, or being denied services, adds up. Studies show reduced self-worth, more anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress in Black and Latino individuals who face regular discrimination.²

3. Racial Battle Fatigue: A Heavy Toll

Ongoing exposure to racism—whether at school, work, or in public—often leads to a condition known as racial battle fatigue. This can trigger a wide range of responses, including anxiety, anger, headaches, disrupted sleep, and high blood pressure.³

4. Racism Acts Like Trauma in the Brain

Repeated racist events can act like trauma, triggering PTSD symptoms, like flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, constant alertness, and also cause serious anxiety and depression.⁴

5. COVID-19 and Pandemic Discrimination

During COVID‑19, racial harassment, especially targeted at Asian and Latino communities, led to much higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. One study found that just encountering discrimination once a week increased the risk of these issues by 10 to 17 times.⁵

6. Cumulative Racism Harms Mental Health Across Time

A comprehensive review of multiple studies revealed that 72% found a strong connection between discrimination and declining mental health. Over time, racism-related stress has been shown to increase the risk of anxiety, depression, and trauma.⁶

Because systemic racism is an enduring part of life for many BIPOC people, it takes a real and lasting toll on mental health.

For this reason, effective mental health care for BIPOC individuals must acknowledge historical context, persistent bias, and the emotional weight of racial trauma.

Disparities in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Access to Care

Mental health support isn’t offered equally to everyone. In BIPOC communities, providers often misdiagnose or overlook individuals, and many people struggle to access care at all.

1. Misdiagnosis Happens Often

Doctors sometimes make mistakes when diagnosing BIPOC patients. This happens because of:

• Bias (unfair ideas or stereotypes)
  
• Not understanding culture
  
• Not listening fully to patients

For example, Black patients showing signs of depression or anxiety may be wrongly diagnosed with schizophrenia.⁷ Their pain is often seen as “anger” or “bad behavior” instead of a real mental health issue.

2. Bipolar Symptoms in Women Are Overlooked

Bipolar disorder includes extreme mood swings, from deep sadness (depression) to high energy or risky behavior (mania).

But in women, especially BIPOC women, signs may look different and are often missed. Instead of mania, they might:

• Feel irritable, not “excited”
  
• Have sleep problems
  
• Show sadness with bursts of energy

Some doctors might just call it “stress” or “hormonal” instead of seeing the full picture. Because of this, many BIPOC women go years without the right treatment.

3. Not Enough Access to Care

Even if someone knows they need help, they might not get it. Here’s why:

• Cost: Therapy and meds are expensive. Many don’t have insurance.
  
• Location: Some areas, like rural or underserved neighborhoods, have few or no mental health clinics.
  
• Stigma: In many cultures, talking about mental health is seen as “weak” or “shameful.”

4. When Patients Can’t See Themselves in Their Providers

In 2019, the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that approximately 83% of psychologists in the U.S. were white.⁸

As a result, many BIPOC patients struggle to find providers who truly understand their culture, background, or lived experiences. Without that connection, building trust or opening up in therapy can become a real challenge.

Every individual deserves to be seen, heard, and supported—regardless of race, gender, or background.

The Power of Representation and Culturally Informed Therapy

July is BIPOC Mental Health Month! Also known as BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month or Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, this is a time to recognize the unique mental health challenges that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color face. 

This tribute month was started thanks to the work of Bebe Moore Campbell, an author and strong voice for mental health in Black communities.

She reminds us that:

• BIPOC communities are often overlooked in mental health care
  
• Access to care isn’t equal, and many people still face big barriers
  
• We need more culturally aware providers, more open conversations, and more support in our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods

When people go to therapy, it helps to talk to someone who understands their background. But for many BIPOC individuals, most therapists don’t look like them or share the same culture. This can make it hard to open up, feel safe, or feel truly understood.

Culturally informed therapy means the therapist:

• Knows how race, culture, history, and identity affect mental health
  
• Understands that racism, discrimination, or being treated unfairly can cause stress or trauma
  
• Respects different ways of healing, including family traditions, spirituality, or community values

This is why representation in the mental health field is so important. People are more likely to seek help when they see others who understand their experiences.

At OceanRock Health and SouthCoast Counseling, we know that mental health looks different for everyone, especially BIPOC women who may experience bipolar symptoms in unique ways. From mood swings to sleep troubles, our culturally informed therapists are trained to recognize and respect your lived experience, not overlook it. We offer care that sees the whole you: your background, your story, and your strength.

Connect with us today…because healing begins when you’re heard.

Sources:

1. Hampton, L. (2021). Generations of Pain: A Transgenerational Examination of Trauma, Parenting Styles, and Attachment of Black Women. [NLU Dissertations]. https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1669&context=diss
2. Dierking, K. (2023). Impact of Racism on Mental Health. Journal of Psychiatry, 26(2), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.35248/2378-5756.23.26.562
3. Smith, W. A., Allen, W. R., & Danley, L. L. (2007). Racial Battle Fatigue in African American Male College Students. American Behavioral Scientist, 51(4), 551–578. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764207307742
4. Jin, L., Compton, S. E., Al-Khaz’Aly, H., & Contractor, A. A. (2025). Racist Events & Mental Health in BIPOC First Responders. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2024.2447202
5. Lee, Y. H., Liu, Z., Fatori, D., et al. (2022). Discrimination and Depression During COVID-19. JAMA Psychiatry, 79(9), 898. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.1973
6. Pascoe, E. A., & Smart Richman, L. (2009). Perceived Discrimination and Health. Psychological Bulletin, 135(4), 531–554. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016059
7. Verbanas, P. (2019, March 21). Black Americans Misdiagnosed with Schizophrenia. Rutgers News. https://www.rutgers.edu/news/african-americans-more-likely-be-misdiagnosed-schizophrenia-rutgers-study-finds
8. American Psychological Association. (2021). Demographics of the U.S. Psychology Workforce. https://www.apa.org/workforce/data-tools/demographics