Black or African American

Mental illnesses often go untreated, especially for people in racial/ethnic minority groups. Among U.S. adults with mental disorders, racial/ethnic minorities are only half as likely as Whites to get treatment; they are also more likely to drop out before completing their treatment. As a result, although they are less likely than Whites to have a mental disorder in their lifetime, racial/ethnic minorities have more severe cases of mental disorders.

Research has shown that people who live in poorer neighborhoods may have shorter lifespans. Urban areas of low socioeconomic status, for example, have more pollution and stressful environments, which are associated with an increased risk of death and therefore a shorter lifespan. But few studies explain the biological process that leads to this increased risk. A study funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and NIMHD found a potential new way to assess how neighborhood-level exposures affect health and mortality risk.

The chance of dying from a firearm injury, drug overdose, or motor vehicle accident (MVA) is much higher in the United States than in other countries. Many of these causes of early death are preventable. Studies have shown that men are more likely than women to die from MVAs.

More than 500,000 Americans have end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), a condition in which the kidneys have nearly stopped working and a person needs regular dialysis or a kidney transplant to live.

A recent study partly funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) has shown that African Americans who experience sleep disturbances are more likely to develop impaired glucose metabolism.

Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions that involve loss of mental clarity (dementia) turn daily life tasks into challenges.

Research has continued to show that African Americans are more likely than Whites to be more susceptible to certain diseases and to have different responses to medication.

E-cigarettes, which contain nicotine and other toxic substances, are harmful to the developing brain and respiratory health of young people.