Mental Health Awareness in the Black Community
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Even though it’s no longer Black History Month, we celebrate the black community everyday!
Did you know that about 25% of African Americans seek mental health care, compared to 40% of whites. As an African American counselor and advocate for mental health awareness, these types of stats are not only alarming but preventable.
African Americans develop mental health conditions at a rate equal to anyone else. They also experience trauma as a result of living within a society of systemic racism.
The black community experience direct traumatic stressors (including being heavily policed or being the victims of physical and verbal attacks), indirect stressors (such as the effects of viewing the video of the killing of George Floyd), and transmitted stressors (from traumatic stress passed from one generation to the next).
Despite these challenges, however, Black people are far less likely to seek care. Unequal access to health care is one major contributor to this disparity.
How to increase mental health awareness in the black household:
Bring awareness to the use of stigmatizing language around mental illness
Educate family, friends, and colleagues about the unique challenges of mental illness within the Black community
Become aware of our own attitudes and beliefs toward the Black community to reduce implicit bias and negative assumptions
Each one of us can make a difference in the lives of those who need mental health support.
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