Breaking Barriers: Wellness Strategies for Marginalized Communities

In today's world, it is crucial to acknowledge the unique challenges marginalized communities face when accessing and prioritizing wellness. Systemic inequalities and barriers can create significant disparities in health outcomes and hinder individuals' ability to achieve holistic well-being. However, by understanding these barriers and implementing targeted strategies, we can empower marginalized communities to overcome obstacles and cultivate wellness. Today will explore various wellness strategies explicitly designed for marginalized communities, focusing on breaking down barriers and promoting inclusive approaches to health and well-being.

Why We Need To Talk About Marginalized Communities Within The Wellness Sphere

July is BIPOC Mental Health Month. It’s a time when mental health advocates come together to discuss the systematic, political, and cultural barriers people within the African American, Hispanic, Pacific Islands, Native American, Immigrant, and Indigenous communities are impacted by. Shockingly enough, we commonly talk about general mental health and its impact on the broader community, but we rarely dive into how different racial communities may be impacted.

I’ve previously written about how people within the Black or African American communities are impacted daily by racial and systemic infrastructures that make it difficult to access adequate mental health or general wellness resources. However, they are not the only ones affected by mental health illnesses.

According to statistics provided by Mental Health America (MHA), these are the number of people who have some sort of mental illness daily:

17% of people in black communities
15% of people in Hispanic or Latinx communities suffer
13% of Asian Americans
23% of Native American or Indigenous
25% of people of multiethnic backgrounds.

Looking at these stats makes me wonder why there is such a lack of mental health or general wellness resources for these communities, which are impacted daily. While I may not have an answer for this, I have some reasonable ways people in marginalized communities can better care for themselves and break the ongoing barriers.

Wellness Strategies For Marginalized Communities

1. Cultivating Community Support

Building a supportive network within marginalized communities is vital for promoting wellness. Encouraging the formation of support groups, community organizations, and safe spaces allows individuals to share experiences, resources, and knowledge. These connections foster a sense of belonging, emotional support, and empowerment, integral to overall well-being.

One of the biggest reasons most people within these communities don’t seek help is that they often feel alone in their suffering and are unsure of where to go. Having support groups and online resources will make it easier for everyone to get the help they need and open the doors to helping other communities begin healing.

Here are some tips for creating a community support group:

Join your local mental health organization as a volunteer and offer to host support groups in your community.
Create a safe space online to hold many discussions on various topics.
Work with your local church to host services in addition to their masses or Sunday services.
Reach out to hospitals to see if they would like to host a community support group.

2. Accessible Health Services

Accessible health services are crucial in ensuring the overall wellness of BIPOC and marginalized communities. Unfortunately, these groups often face barriers to accessing healthcare due to systemic inequalities, economic constraints, and cultural factors. Lack of access to affordable and culturally sensitive care can lead to delayed diagnoses, untreated health conditions, and increased stress. To promote the well-being of these communities, it is essential to address healthcare disparities and advocate for inclusive services that cater to their unique needs. Empowering marginalized individuals with equal access to quality healthcare can significantly improve their physical and mental health, fostering a more equitable and healthier society.

The best way we as a society can break down the barrier between healthcare services and BIPOC communities is to advocate and offer resources for people within those communities.

For example, if you live in a predominantly BIPOC neighborhood but lack therapists or healthcare professionals who share the same ethnic background, that is a problem. Not only is there no representation, but this creates resentment and distrust toward people who genuinely want to help. Working with community organizers, you can create a network of professionals specializing in marginalized communities and share that information with others. This creates a discourse of conversations, creates new resources for those in the community, and builds the overall community.

3. Addressing Socioeconomic Factors

Socioeconomic factors play a significant role in wellness, and marginalized communities often face economic challenges that impact their health outcomes. Addressing socioeconomic factors is crucial for enhancing the overall wellness of BIPOC and individuals in marginalized communities. Socioeconomic disparities, such as limited access to quality healthcare, education, and stable employment, disproportionately impact these groups, leading to higher stress levels, anxiety, and other health challenges.

We as a society can address socioeconomic disparities and factors by

Creating financial literacy programs
Hosting job training initiatives
Making more affordable housing options to address these barriers.

By advocating for equitable policies, promoting financial literacy, and offering opportunities for skill development and job placement, we can create an environment where everyone has the resources they need to thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally. By addressing these systemic issues, we can foster a more inclusive and supportive society that uplifts the well-being of all its members.

4. Promoting Mental Health and Emotional Well-being

Marginalized communities frequently face unique mental health challenges due to various social and environmental factors. While conversations in mental health have grown over the last decade, much work is needed on the mental health of people in the BIPOC communities. More can be done to ensure that everyone has the same equal access to mental health services, therapy counseling, and online resources. We must understand the importance of culturally competent mental health services, destigmatization efforts, and access to therapy and counseling. We can also explore community-based interventions, self-care practices, and mindfulness techniques to enhance mental and emotional well-being within marginalized communities.

Another technique for promoting the overall well-being of BIPOC communities includes speaking about these topics outside of the designated ‘holiday months,’ such as February and July, to enforce these conversations being a part of everyday life.

5. Empowering Self-Advocacy

Empowering individuals to advocate for their wellness is critical to breaking barriers. It involves speaking up for one's needs, rights, and well-being. For many people facing systemic barriers and discrimination, self-advocacy is essential to navigate healthcare, access resources, and seek support. By empowering individuals to advocate for themselves, we enable them to take control of their health and mental well-being, leading to improved self-esteem, resilience, and a greater sense of agency. Additionally, self-advocacy helps dismantle the existing disparities in healthcare and services, promoting equity and inclusivity for all. Self-advocacy within marginalized communities can look like many things, such as:

Organizing advocacy days with local and state government agencies to discuss these topics.
Hosting community events to raise awareness.
Working with local media to publish content related to these subjects.
Writing your content and sharing your personal experiences.
Standing up for oneself when not being listened to by medical or mental health professionals.

Conclusion

Breaking down barriers and promoting wellness within marginalized communities requires a comprehensive and inclusive approach. By implementing strategies that address systemic inequalities, improve healthcare access, promote mental health support, and empower self-advocacy, we can help create a world where wellness is accessible to all. Our responsibility is prioritizing and uplifting marginalized communities, ensuring everyone can thrive and lead healthy, fulfilling lives.