Racial Disparities in Individuals With Co-occurring Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders
One in four people with serious mental illness also struggle with a substance use disorder. Millions more struggle with misuse of one or more substances without meeting the high criteria for a substance use disorder. Marginalized populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities, are disproportionately impacted by the negative effects of co-occurring disorders. These same populations tend to have the least access to care.
For different racial and ethnic groups, several factors greatly influence the likelihood of a diagnosis of a co-occurring disorder, whether an individual will seek treatment and an individual’s access to treatment. These factors include cultural differences; associated stigma of these illnesses within communities; racial bias in health care; and systemic racial disparities, including neighborhood segregation and poverty.