Mental health disparities and research challenges: An interdisciplinary perspective

Mental health and mental illness are major public health issues of the twenty-first century and affect all segments of the population. Health systems and nations face major challenges with respect to addressing mental health and mental illness and the large health disparities that exist with respect to those aspects of public health. Often, the work of addressing mental health, and of performing the research necessary to learn how to better address mental health and mental health disparities has been performed in isolation, and challenges inherent in such work have gone unrecognized. This presentation reports on the work of an inter-disciplinary cross-agency team convened within the Federal Collaborative for Health Disparities Research to explore and write about challenges and opportunities for addressing mental health disparities in the United States. The presentation will explore specific health disparities, health disparities research challenges, and potential strategies for overcoming them.