Mental Health and Wellness in the African-American Community: Our Silent Struggle

Summary

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While most individuals are aware of the dangers posed by health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, in the Black community, an area that is not as often discussed is that of mental health. Historically, psychology, and the mental health industry in general, have not been kind to African-Americans. From frequent misdiagnoses prompted by racism and discrimination, to poor treatment in mental health facilities, African-Americans have developed a mistrust of mental health professionals - what noted psychologist Dr. Nancy BoydFranklin termed a "healthy cultural suspicion."

In 2002, Dr. David Satcher, the U.S. surgeon general at the time, issued a groundbreaking report entitled "Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity," which examined mental health care issues in communities of color. His findings indicated that this skeptical view of mental health professionals has resulted in under-utilization of services. For example, only about one in three African-Americans who need care receive it. Further, African-Americans are also more likely than any other racial/ethnic group to terminate treatment early. Most troubling is that African-Americans are overrepresented in psychiatric hospitals and emergency rooms, which indicates that they do not seek services until a crisis has occurred and their symptoms are more severe.

Policymakers must also respond by improving access to quality health care for African-Americans, since almost a quarter of African- Americans are uninsured. Psychologists and other mental health professionals need to, in turn, do a better job of addressing this "healthy cultural suspicion" and convince African-Americans that mental health care is a viable option when exploring ways to optimize their functioning.

[...] African-Americans are more often misdiagnosed with schizophrenia and mood disorders than white Americans. [...] it is evident that more AfricanAmerican mental health professionals are needed, and more cultural competence training is needed for non-African-American mental health professionals.

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Mental Health and Wellness in the African-American Community: Our Silent Struggle

Unbeknownst to many, July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. In 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives designated July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, in honor of the late African-American writer, who was also an advocate for individuals and families affected by mental illness. She died i...

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