Does a person's race affect the treatment they may receive for a serious and chronic mental illness? As we have heard through our discussions with experts, people living with schizophrenia, and family members—conscious and unconscious biases can play a huge role in how a person is treated within the health care system. Multiple studies and reports have also illustrated that systemic racism influences access to, and the experience of, mental health care for racialized Canadians. The treatment of serious mental illness for racialized Canadians is a huge topic—not something that can be covered in only one episode—but we’re going to start the conversation today with Dr. Amy Gajaria, a clinician and Associate Director, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.

Resources:
Dr. Amy Gajaria - Bio
What’s race got to do with it? A proposed framework to address racism’s impacts on child and adolescent mental health in Canada