Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services That Impact Black Canadians: A Scoping Review and Thematic Analysis

Although experiencing lower levels of mental health compared to the general population of Canada, Black Canadians are less inclined to seek help from mental health services. Thus, the aim of this scoping review is to systematically document the current literature on the barriers in accessing mental health services among Black Canadians. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of the existing literature was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, and Scopus on September 8, 2024. The final dataset consisted of 20 studies published between 1998 and 2023. Findings were synthesized using the sociobehavioural model of health service use to define the subtypes of barriers and the construct of Mental Health Literacy to guide the thematic analysis of the extracted data. Barriers impacting Black Canadians' access of mental health services included language barriers, difficulties in navigating the mental healthcare system, wait times, the quality of resources, and the lack of mental health services in their communities. Themes identified as barriers of use were Mental Health Literacy, Negative Perceptions of the Mental Healthcare System, and Discrimination. Challenges discussed in this review implicate the importance of a multitargeted approach to increasing the access and usage of mental health services among Black Canadians. This review also provides a foundation for research and practice that aims to investigate and develop strategies to promote the mental health of the Black population in Canada. Accordingly, we identify gaps in research-regarding the mental health perceptions, beliefs, and experiences of Black Canadians, required to properly develop interventions that increase mental health service access.