Understanding Barriers to Mental Health Care and How to Overcome Them

Louise Hartnett
Published: 02/09/2026 | Updated: 02/09/2026
Authored by: Louise Hartnett, B.A.
Edited by: Jemma Strain, B.S. Psychology
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Over a billion people are living with mental health conditions across the world, but there are many barriers preventing a lot of these people from receiving the care they need.1 When seeking support, people in need of care often face stigma, legal and geographic barriers, and high costs. 

Furthermore, the global median of mental health professionals stands at 13 for every 100,000, which keeps the mental health system overstretched and inaccessible for many.1 

To help you better understand barriers to mental health care, this article discusses:

  • The different barriers people often face
  • Methods for overcoming these barriers
  • Where to find professional, inclusive support
Woman with hand over her face struggling due to barriers to mental health care

Barriers to Mental Health Care

Over 95% of people report at least one barrier to healthcare, and these barriers are increasing.2,3 

Barriers include cost, geography, stigma, race, employment, and shortages of care professionals. Research finds that mental health conditions exist more often when any of these barriers to healthcare are reported, suggesting that barriers themselves can worsen mental health.2 

Before they can be solved, challenges accessing mental health services must be understood on the individual, community, and societal levels. 

Here are five common barriers that stand between certain groups and mental health services:

1. Socio-Economic Factors

Socio-economic factors are concerned with income, employment status, and education. These are important when thinking about access to healthcare because they can influence people’s beliefs about getting care and their ability to pay for it.

Research into mental healthcare access in the US found that young adults, males, and Hispanic people are less likely to have a “usual source of care”.2 This can mean that people either don’t want to access healthcare services or feel they don’t need them. For instance, people might underestimate their real need for care or feel hesitant to seek it for various reasons. 

These reasons could be cost, cultural, or related to stigma, which we’ll discuss throughout this article.

This research also found that people without employer-provided benefits, such as paid sick leave, were disproportionately affected by limited access to healthcare.2 for this reason, these people might forgo medical care and continue to work when unwell. 

Additionally, some experts argue that the US healthcare system puts a great deal of responsibility on people seeking care, requiring them to be informed and authoritative when navigating it. This could be a barrier for people who lack an informed understanding and who can’t be authoritative when engaging with healthcare professionals about the care they deserve.2 

2. Stigma and Mental Health

A 2018 study explored the most common reasons people didn’t receive mental healthcare in the previous year. It found that…3 

  • 26% of people thought they could handle their symptoms without treatment
  • 10% were concerned their communities would have a negative opinion of them for seeking care
  • 9% were worried that seeking treatment would negatively impact their job
  • 8% of people didn’t want others to find out they were accessing support

These statistics show how stigma can prevent people from seeking therapy and other mental health services. Stigma can come from fear of judgment or a lack of understanding, often perpetuated by misleading representations in the media.4 

People often face multiple forms of stigma, including:4 

  • Public stigma    : Negative and discriminatory attitudes within society
  • Structural stigma: Policies of governments and organizations that limit opportunities for people with mental health conditions
  • Self-stigma: Negative attitudes and internalized shame that people may have towards their own mental health condition

Stigma is a particular issue in certain racial and ethnic communities. For example, seeking professional mental health help might go against values of restraint and avoidance of shame often seen in Asian cultures.4 Additionally, African American people might value family privacy and deny mental health conditions, preventing them from accessing necessary care.5 

While this barrier can reduce the likelihood of receiving treatment, stigma can also worsen people’s symptoms. It can lower hope and self-esteem, increase difficulties at work, and create more challenges in relationships. More broadly, stigma also increases social isolation and leads to fewer opportunities for work and housing.4 

Many of these barriers intersect. For example, living on a low income and stigma. Research finds that parents raising children in poverty may avoid mental health services out of fears they’ll be called “crazy” and have their children taken away.11 

3. Lack of Mental Health Professionals and Services

With the World Health Organization expecting health workforce shortages to triple by 2030, barriers to accessing mental health care exist on a huge scale.7

In the US, over 169 million people live in areas known as “Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (MHPAs),” with black and indigenous communities most affected. That is just under half the American population.6 

In addition, almost 90% of psychologists and counselors are white, which limits how culturally competent the available care can be.6 So, not only is there a limited number of services, but the services themselves may be ill-equipped to care for everyone accessing them.

With such a shortage of professionals, the services that exist are extremely overstretched, resulting in high levels of emotional exhaustion and employee turnover.6 If the system’s workforce is constantly overworked, it creates another barrier to providing quality care. 

4. Geographic Barriers to Mental Health Care

Even though American adults who live outside of cities are just as affected by mental health conditions as those living in urban areas, they are less likely to receive specialized care. This can cause higher rates of depression and suicide risk.8 

Geographic barriers to care are not only due to longer distances between people and services, but rural communities tend to lack the necessary professionals to provide specialized treatments.8 

Again, these barriers tend to intersect, with workforce shortages being worse in rural areas.6 

5. Cost and Insurance-Related Barriers

The most prevalent reported barrier to accessing healthcare is concerns around paying for medical bills.2 In 2018, 16% of people reported that their health insurance wouldn’t pay enough for mental health services, and 8% said their health insurance wouldn’t cover them at all.3 

Alongside the cost of therapy and counseling are insurance-related barriers, with insurance coverage limitations impacting some groups of people worse than others. Those living in rural areas, for example, tend to lack the insurance rates necessary to cover mental health services.8 

Insurers also have a great deal of control over the healthcare people can access. They can determine medical necessity on a case-by-case basis, narrow networks, and limit reimbursement rates.9 Even if someone does find a therapist within their network, their insurance company can decide it isn’t medically necessary, forcing them to pay out of pocket.10 

Further, insurance tends to be a greater barrier for people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, who disproportionately lack health insurance.12 

Overcoming the Barriers to Mental Health Care

Although the barriers to mental health care are steep, some strategies can improve access. The World Health Organization has identified several policy changes for governments to improve services, expand community-based care, invest more in workforces, and uphold human rights.1 

Mental health service providers can serve marginalized communities by embracing cultural competence, which involves welcoming cultural beliefs, values, and practices, as well as reflecting on biases.14 

While these strategies to overcome mental health access challenges are in the hands of governments and organizations, there are also smaller-scale alternatives. These include:

Telehealth

Telehealth is one possible solution for improving mental health access. Although it can’t be relied upon to entirely transform the healthcare system, telehealth for mental health care is a viable option for some people.8 

Remote therapy sessions can reduce both financial and geographic obstacles to care, as people can remain at home and pay lower fees. However, one challenge for telehealth is overcoming cultural differences between providers and those who seek care.8 

Learn more about the telehealth services offered by Mission Connection.

Community-Based Solutions

Community mental health programs aim to bring people together, offer support, and share resources for those who don’t have quality healthcare. Community care might also support those who don’t have steady access to school or work and those without safe places to live.13 

Although the US should create more community services to support local people, there are some existing services. These could be a good option if you’re facing some of the barriers we’ve discussed in this article. Some services offer:13 

  • Peer support    : Often designed for specific mental health conditions, peer services connect people with others who share similar experiences.
  • Exchange of resources: Some communities offer mutual aid, whereby resources or services are swapped to benefit everyone involved. 
  • Healing circles, talking circles, and peacemaking circles: Rooted in indigenous traditions, these circles bring people together for mutual support. They often acknowledge the effects of racial trauma and give people a space to work through their experiences.
  • Community healing: Similarly, community healing responds to unfair treatment inflicted on specific communities. For example, for people of color or queer communities.
  • Doulas: Doulas and midwives provide holistic support through pregnancy and birth. Some community efforts can connect people with doulas to support them through the emotional and physical toils of this period.
  • Community health workers: These professionals are frontline workers who provide education, support, and resources. Their work is often covered by Medicaid, and they connect communities with specific healthcare services.

Mission Connection: Personalized Mental Health Care

At Mission Connection, personalized care is what we do best. Our numerous therapies offer evidence-based and specialized approaches, depending on your needs and preferences. With telehealth, outpatient, inpatient, and group therapy options, we can adapt to your lifestyle and level of necessary support.

As an inclusive service, our practitioners understand how racial, sexual, gender, and economic factors can impact the lives and mental health of the people we support. We’re committed to offering a welcoming and respectful space for everyone. Plus, if paying for treatment is a concern, we offer free insurance validation and can discuss the option of sliding scale fees.

Browse our website to learn about our different approaches or reach out today to take the first step in your treatment.

Woman in therapy session after overcoming barriers to mental health care

References

  1. World Health Organization. (2025). Over a billion people living with mental health conditions – services require urgent scale-up. https://www.who.int/news/item/02-09-2025-over-a-billion-people-living-with-mental-health-conditions-services-require-urgent-scale-up
  2. Coombs, N. C., Meriwether, W. E., Caringi, J., & Newcomer, S. R. (2021). Barriers to healthcare access among U.S. adults with mental health challenges: A population-based study. Population Health, 15(2), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100847 
  3. Conroy, J., Lin, L., & Ghaness, A. (2020, July 1). Why People aren’t Getting the Care They Need. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/07/datapoint-care 
  4. Singhal, N. (2024, March). Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness. Psychiatry.org. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination 
  5. American Psychiatric Association. (2017). Mental Health Disparities: African Americans. https://www.psychiatry.org/getmedia/bc6ae47f-b0aa-4418-b045-952ede06757f/Mental-Health-Facts-for-African-Americans.pdf
  6. ‌Ballout, S. (2025). Trauma, Mental Health Workforce Shortages, and Health Equity: A Crisis in Public Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(4), 620. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22040620 
  7. World Health Organization. (2024). Mental health and well-being of the health and care workforce. https://www.who.int/europe/about-us/governance/regional-committee/75th-session-of-the-who-regional-committee-for-europe/side-events/mental-health-and-well-being-of-the-health-and-care-workforce 
  8. Negaro, S. N., Hantman, R. M., Probst, J. C., Crouch, E. L., Odahowski, C. L., Andrews, C. M., & Hung, P. (2023). Geographic variations in driving time to US mental health care, digital access to technology, and household crowdedness. Health Affairs Scholar, 1(6). https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxad070
  9. ‌Lasswell, S. (2022, October). Financial Inaccessibility of Mental Healthcare in the United States. Ballard Brief. https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/financial-inaccessibility-of-mental-healthcare-in-the-united-states 
  10. Waldman, A. (2024, August 27). Insurers can restrict mental health care. What laws protect patients in your state? NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/08/23/nx-s1-5084256/insurance-mental-health-care-coverage-legal-protection 
  11. Hodgkinson, S., Godoy, L., Beers, L. S., & Lewin, A. (2017). Improving mental health access for low-income children and families in the primary care setting. Pediatrics, 139(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-1175 
  12. American Psychiatric Association. (2017). Mental Health Disparities: Diverse Populations. https://www.psychiatry.org/getmedia/bac9c998-5b2d-4ffa-ace9-d35844b8475a/Mental-Health-Facts-for-Diverse-Populations.pdf 
  13. Mental Health America. (2025, January 27). ‌Community Care. https://mhanational.org/resources/community-care/ 
  14. Bignall, T., Jeraj, S., Helsby, E., & Butt, J. (2019). Racial disparities in mental health: Literature and evidence review (Race Equality Foundation). https://www.raceequalityfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/mental-health-report-v5-2.pdf