Engaging a New Generation of Trainees: Amplifying Voices of Color.

Children in the US are facing a mental health crisis, which is not felt evenly across racial groups. In 2021, suicide was the second leading cause of death for those aged 10 to 24 years, rising 52% from 2000.1 Non-Hispanic American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) youth have the highest risk.1 Suicide among Black youth has increased by 60% from 2001 to 2017.2 Suicide rates also increased among Hispanic persons by 6.8% from 2018 to 2021.3 Between 2019 and 2021, suicide rates decreased by 3.9% among non-Hispanic White people, but increased among non-Hispanic AI/AN by 26% and non-Hispanic Black by 19.2%.1 The current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data indicate that parents report that 1 in 6 children aged 2 to 8 years have a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder, which are most common between 6 and 11 years of age. There is significant chronicity, as approximately half of adults with mental illnesses are diagnosed before age 15 years.4 The burdens of chronic mental health concerns can lead to subsequent disability that is disproportionately high for racially and ethnically minoritized groups relative to White persons.5 Early interventions can lead to better outcomes; however, there is a shortage of pediatric psychiatrists.6.

Culturally Responsive Psychiatric Services for Refugee and Immigrant Adolescents: Are Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists Prepared to Serve Refugee Children? A Focus on African Refugee Families.

The arrival of sub-Saharan African immigrants and refugees (AIRs) to the United States has been steadily increasing for the past several decades. Not only are AIR adolescents directly affected by previous migration processes, but they are also impacted by stress and the mental health of their parents, even if they were born in the United States to immigrant/refugee parents. Immigrant and refugee parents concerned with their child's behavior and emotions should be evaluated by a qualified mental health professional, including licensed counselors, psychologists, and child and adolescent psychiatrists. However, access to culturally responsive psychiatric care for youth is limited. African adolescents are additionally burdened by their own acculturation process, balancing multiple cultural expectations as well as feelings of social isolation resulting from perceived racism and discrimination.

The Physical, Mental, and Emotional Harm of Female Genital Mutilation.

Although female genital mutilation (FGM) is sometimes regarded as an archaic ritual that was once practiced thousands of miles away, millions of girls around the globe and in the United States remain at risk. The World Health Organization has defined FGM as injury of, including the partial or total removal of, the female genitalia or organs for non-medical reasons. Much attention has been paid to the devastating physical harm caused by FGM, but not enough is known about the mental health effects of FGM on women and girls.