The historic and current inequities in mental health are complex and multifaceted. Equity is a concept that acknowledges systemic and societal barriers to achieving health and wellness. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation defines health equity as every person having “a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.” This definition frames health in terms of equal opportunity to be healthy, as opposed to simply the outcome of health. The implicit declaration of this framing—that not only are we not all equally healthy, but we do not all have an equal opportunity to be healthy—is critical in addressing mental health equity.
