Mental distress

[1] Certain traumatic life experiences (such as bereavement, stress, lack of sleep, use of drugs, assault, abuse, or accidents such as the death of a loved one[2][which?])

Those who are members of vulnerable populations might experience discrimination that places them at increased risk for experiencing mental distress as well.

This may be something which resolves without further medical intervention, though people who endure such symptoms longer term are more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness.

[7] Physical symptoms may include sleep disturbance, anorexia (lack of appetite), loss of menstruation for women, headaches, chronic pain, and fatigue.

Minor mental distress cases are caused by stress in daily problems, such as forgetting your car keys or being late for an event.

[9] For this reason, researchers have attempted to examine the sociological causes and systemic inequalities which contribute to these disparities in order to highlight issues for further investigation.

[11] According to Hunter and Schmidt (2010), there are three distinct beliefs embraced by Black people which speak to their socio-cultural experience in the United States: racism, stigma associated with mental illness, and the importance of physical health.

The primary reasons for this have been stipulated to be discrimination, inadequate treatment, and underutilization of mental health services, though Black youth have been shown to have higher self-esteem than their white counterparts.

It is difficult to decipher if this is cultural or a youth-related issue, as most teens do not choose to access formal providers for their mental health needs.

People generally underreport feeling psychological distress [27] [28], with those who hold stigma beliefs less willing to obtain treatment (1-9).

Avoidance is particularly pronounced in members of ethnic minority groups because they are less likely to seek mental health treatment than those of European Americans [e.g., Ref.

[29] There has been a history of disparity and exclusion in regards to the treatment of Black Americans which consists of slavery, imprisonment in the criminal justice system, the inability to vote, marry, attend school, or own property amongst other factors.

[30] Those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community have a higher risk of experiencing mental distress, most likely as a result of continued discrimination and victimization.