Mental Health and Its Intersectionality with DE&I
Posted on May. 22, 2024 / Diversity & Inclusion / Subscribe 0
By Shayla O’Keeffe
When you think of a topic for diversity, equity and inclusion, what comes to mind first? Second? More than likely, the topic of “mental health inclusion” is not one of the first things. Yet, it’s a crucial part of the conversation, especially as it’s intertwined with disability inclusion and the concept of intersectionality.
It also impacts a substantial number of community members and our workforce.
Nearly 20% of U.S. adults are experiencing a mental health condition, which is roughly 50 million Americans, according to Mental Health America. Mental health does not discriminate across genders, race, ethnicity, age or another demographic — it can impact anyone.
For many, unfortunately, discrimination experienced from a mental health illness is often in conjunction with experiencing other stereotypes and microaggressions based on skin tone, ability, sexual orientation, age and more.
Mental health is also a large part of the disability inclusion conversation. The ADA defines a disability as “any physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities.” For someone with a mental health condition who meets this criteria, they’re ADA-protected. It also means they should be part of conversations around inclusion and equitable, accessible workplace practices.
Here are a few areas where mental health exclusion can show up:
- Job applications or promotions: “Strong communication skills required” could exclude people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or attention deficit disorder (ADD).
- Remote or hybrid policies: People experiencing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) could feel worried having to manage their symptoms in front of co-workers for five days a week.
- Happy hours with clients/customers: People who are struggling with substance use disorder, such as alcoholism, would feel excluded or extreme internal pressure at happy hours.
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DEI advocates and allies to everyone, there are actions we can take to mitigate the bias against mental health. Here are a few ideas you can practice:
- Be aware of the terminology and phrases we use. Deliberately aim to remove any mental illness “slang” from the conversations.
- Use general, more ambiguous descriptors like “wild” instead of “crazy.”
- Be mindful with event planning that people who might struggle with a substance use disorder or an eating disorder are able to join without pressure, fear or anxiety.
- Review any job postings you have for phrases or terminology that could be exclusive.
- Follow mental health organizations and nonprofits on social media to learn how the experts talk about it. A few include: The Mental Health Coalition, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (SAMHSA).
Most of all, don’t be afraid to talk about mental health. It’s only when we intentionally pull it into conversation and normalize it as a discussion point that we can make a true impact on eliminating the stigma around mental health.
The more we share stories and information about it, the more we can create a space where people experiencing a mental illness feel safe and welcomed.
A note: While this article is focused on mental health inclusion for Mental Health Awareness in the month of May, we at PRSA Tampa Bay are committed to and actively incorporate diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) into our programming and posts throughout the year to ensure all communities and histories are not forgotten. DE&I is not a trend and is not limited to one moment in time, it takes all of us, all the time.
About the author: Shayla O’Keeffe, a member of PRSA Tampa Bay and its current chair of the DE&I Committee, is an internal communications professional and certified change practitioner, currently serving the employees of Bristol Myers Squibb, providing global communications expertise in strategy and delivery of various internal communications projects. She is also certified in Mental Health First Aid and honored to be a board member of her local NAMI Chapter — NAMI of Pinellas County.
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