Today, October 10th is International Mental Health Day. In 2024, the focus is on the workplace.
I am grateful that my professional place provides mental health resources to support its dedicated workforce’s diverse experiences and needs.

As an African descendant, Asian-raised patient and European-educated scientist, I often find myself educating monocultural healthcare professionals of European descent when I ask for help. They have little knowledge of the human experience of the global majority, and I’m not paid for this labor; it’s taken from the time dedicated to my mental health that I often have to pay for. Sometimes, I feel so frustrated compensating for an ill-designed system that I prefer not to ask for help. Other times, I reach out and brace myself for sub-standard care, convincing myself that as a doctor in pharmaceutical science, a regulatory scientist, and a science decolonization writer, I can make a drop of difference for the next patient from the global majority. It’s only when I find inclusive mental health resources that I can reach out with less anxiety.

It’s crucial to reflect on the mental health struggles faced by marginalized communities, many of which are rooted in the long-lasting impacts of colonization. Colonization left a legacy of displacement, cultural erasure, and intergenerational trauma that continues to shape the mental health experiences of Indigenous, African descendants, and other racialized and marginalized communities from the global majority. These populations often face racial trauma, systemic oppression, and limited access to culturally competent mental health services—yet their struggles are frequently overlooked in mainstream mental health discourse.

🔎 Overlooked Realities:

• Historical Trauma: Centuries of exploitation, forced assimilation, and dehumanization contribute to generational cycles of trauma.
• Cultural Stigma: Mental health issues in many marginalized communities are stigmatized due to colonial narratives that pathologized cultural practices, further discouraging individuals from seeking help.
• Access Gaps: Systems of care built on Eurocentric frameworks often fail to meet the needs of non-Western or Indigenous ways of healing, pushing marginalized communities toward quick fixes or silence.

🚑 Quick Fixes Aren’t Enough:

• Token Representation: Adding a few mental health professionals from the global majority (the so-called people of color, as if European descendants were people of non-color) is not enough to dismantle the entrenched biases in the system.
• Short-term interventions: While helpful, immediate solutions like mental health hotlines or awareness campaigns cannot address the systemic inequities that continue to harm marginalized communities.

🔧 What We Need Are Systemic Solutions:

• Decolonizing Mental Health: We must challenge Western notions of wellness, including its pill-centered approach, and embrace a more holistic, community-centered approach. This includes integrating Indigenous healing practices, affirming cultural identities, and recognizing the collective aspects of trauma and healing.
• Building Accessible, Culturally Competent Care: Mental health services must prioritize language inclusivity, representation, and culturally specific therapies to ensure equitable access to care for all communities.
• Policy Reform: This includes increased funding for mental health services in underserved communities, anti-racist training for healthcare providers, and legislation that addresses the social determinants of mental health, like housing, education, and economic justice.

As we move forward, let’s commit to rethinking mental health through the lens of equity and decolonization. Healing starts by addressing the root causes, acknowledging the impact of colonial history, and ensuring that every individual has access to compassionate, culturally appropriate care.