Minorities often face discrimination and exclusion that compound their physical and psychological well-being. Notably, minority groups have distinguishable characteristics, including; unfair treatment and power in society, differentiating cultural or physical traits such as color or sexuality, involuntary affiliation with the minority, awareness of subordination, and high rate of in-group interactions. Women are disadvantaged since their legal rights and status are lower than men. Therefore, women who are in minority groups suffer far-reaching physical and mental challenges compared to men. Women who are minorities have limited power, privileges, rights, and opportunities, which affects their mental and physical well-being.
First, women in stigmatized minority groups experience toxic stress due to poor social support and reduced economic opportunities. Minority women face interpersonal prejudice and discrimination in their social, economic, and political life. For instance, racism experienced by black-American women has subjected them to the highest rate of unemployment compared to other demographics in America (Botha & Frost, 2020). Consequently, compared to black men, black women are more diagnosed with postpartum depression. However, minority women with mental illnesses have limited opportunities to seek psychological health. Most minority women lack health insurance due to financial challenges. Additionally, cultural insensitivity may hinder psychological health among minority women. Therefore, compared to minority men, women have an increased risk of depression.
Elevated depression and restricted access to mental health make minority women vulnerable to drinking and substance abuse hence addiction. Challenged by toxic stress or depression, minority women are most incapable of seeking mental health, resolve to drink, and drug abuse. According to Botha & Frost (2020), lack of income or low socioeconomic status leads to stress that triggers substance abuse hence addiction. Addiction is a mental illness that affects a person’s brain and behavior by leading to dependence and inability to control substance use. While drug addiction is a medical issue, it remains a stigmatized disease that subjects minority women to desperation and wretchedness. Addiction and substance abuse may influence women who are minorities to inflict self-harm or indulge in criminality and prostitution.
Minority women are susceptible to stigmatization, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Violent crimes against minority groups expose women to stigmatization and anxiety. Fear of racism is harmful as it can undermine good mental health characteristics such as motivation, hope, and resilience. Stereotypes, prejudice, and oppression make minority women feel less valuable. Microaggressions against minorities occur often and can have profound negative impacts on their mental well-being (Wilkins-Yel et al., 2019). Disparity in the US is more prevalent in Hispanic and black communities compared to white households (Botha & Frost, 2022). Untreated mental illnesses among marginalized women is another cause of increased suicide.
Other than the psychological effects, minority women endure poor physical well-being and health. Substantial research has determined that stress resulting from discrimination and oppression has long-lasting physical effects. Stress causes high blood pressure and frails the immune system raising the risk for long-term health conditions such as stroke and hypertension. For instance, US minority women are overly affected by Stomach Cancer, with economic strength playing a significant factor. Moreover, low self-esteem experienced by minority women resulting from prejudices and stereotypes contributes to obesity, a risk factor for chronic conditions.
Following elevated stress levels, minority women are likely to suffer from cortisol deregulation. Cortisol is a critical hormone responsible for regulating stress levels in the body. Increased stress levels trigger an enhanced demand for cortisol, more than the body can produce, leading to deregulation. Cortisol deregulation is a critical autoimmune condition that damages the adrenal glands and raises blood sugar. Chronically high cortisol levels can influence the development of hyperglycemia due to the increased release of stored glucose. Although the onset of cortisol deregulation is slow and challenging to diagnose, it has physical symptoms of fatigue, mood swings, skin changes, and weight loss.
Finally, marginalized women are affected by inflammation. When the body detects elevated stress, it launches a biological process to remove it, which can lead to an inflammation reaction. Experts have indicated that inflammation may contribute to numerous chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. Minority women enduring traumatic experiences of racism are challenged by short-term physical issues of heart palpitations, hastened respiration rates, and headaches. Additionally, women from marginalized groups are vulnerable to self-harm which may lead to death and disabilities (Bailey & Mobley, 2019). Discrimination against minority women exposes them to inflammation, type 2 diabetes, heart palpitations, headaches, deaths, and disability.
To conclude, there is a profound association between minority discrimination and multiple mental and physical health conditions. While the mental effects of minority discrimination against women are stress, addiction, stigmatization, and suicidal thoughts, the physical impacts include; poor immunity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cortisol deregulation, and inflammation. Though all minority groups are negatively affected by discrimination, the magnitude of the impact is most significant among women since they are the disadvantaged gender. Discrimination leads to negative self-evaluation, motivation, and self-esteem, which compromises the social and economic development of minority women. The major contributor to the multiple physical and psychological challenges faced by minority women is limited access to health care.
References
Bailey, M., & Mobley, I. A. (2019). Work in the intersections: A black feminist disability framework. Gender & Society, 33(1), 19–40. Web.
Botha, M., & Frost, D. M. (2020). Extending the minority stress model to understand mental health problems experienced by the autistic population. Society and mental health, 10(1), 20–34. Web.
Wilkins-Yel, K. G., Hyman, J., & Zounlome, N. O. (2019). Linking intersectional invisibility and hypervisibility to experiences of microaggressions among graduate women of color in STEM. Journal of Vocational Behavior, pp. 113, 51–61. Web.