University of Houston

Despite a growing demand for mental health care services among low-income communities, many people in Houston's economically disadvantaged neighborhoods lack nearby access to those services.

New research from the University of Houston maps out "mental health deserts" in the city, finding that 39 out of 96 zip codes in the Houston area lack mental health care providers. Those areas include the Fifth Ward, Kashmere Gardens and Sunnyside, which are predominantly Black communities.

The report, published last month in “ Frontiers in Public Health ," also found that a majority of those zip codes are considered " distressed " by the U.S. Census Bureau, based on factors like unemployment, educational attainment and poverty.

Chakema Carmack, senior author and a

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