The Counseling Connection

African Americans and Mental Health Illness

As posted on DISCOVERY Mood & Anxiety Program - Mental Health Treatment

Black History Month, celebrated in February each year, is a time to recognize the central role African Americans have played in the United States in both the past and the present and to recognize and celebrate their achievements. Mental illness, without any further distinction, affects one in four Americans. However, African Americans are disproportionately more likely to experience mental health issues and social stigma. Historical adversity, which includes slavery, sharecropping, and race-based exclusion from health, educational, social and economic resources, translates into socioeconomic disparities experienced by African Americans today. African American mental health statistics show that socioeconomic status, in turn, is linked to mental health: People who are impoverished, homeless, incarcerated or have substance abuse problems are at higher risk for poor mental health. Mental health conditions do not discriminate based on race, color, gender or identity. Anyone can experience the challenges of mental illness regardless of their background. However, background and identity can make access to mental health treatment much more difficult. Ongoing stigma and lack of access to health care act as barriers for anyone with a mental health condition, but experts argue there is a particular disparity when it comes to minorities, especially African Americans, which can contribute to individuals not receiving proper support or treatment to feel better.

A new study published in the International Journal of Health Services only further corroborates this fact. Researchers found that black young people were less able to get mental health services than white children and young adults. This happens even though rates of mental illness are generally consistent across all ethnicities, Kaiser Health News reported.

• African American adults are 20% more likely to experience mental health issues than the rest of the population

• 25% of African Americans seek treatment for a mental health issue, compared to 40 percent of white individuals. The reasons for this drop off include misdiagnosis by doctors, socioeconomic factors and a lack of African American mental health professionals.

• Adult Black/African Americans living below poverty are three times more likely to report severe psychological distress than those living above poverty.

• Black/African Americans are less likely than white people to die from suicide as teenagers, Black/African Americans teenagers are more likely to attempt suicide than are white teenagers (8.3 percent v. 6.2 percent).

• Only 6.2 percent of psychologists, 5.6 percent of advanced-practice psychiatric nurses, 12.6 percent of social workers, and 21.3 percent of psychiatrists are members of minority groups. According to the National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI), only 3.7% of members in the American Psychiatric Association and 1.5% of members in the American Psychological Association are Black.

• African Americans of all ages are more likely to witness or be victims of serious violent crimes. Exposure to violence increases the risk of developing a mental health condition such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.

• African American children are more likely than other children to be exposed to violence, which can have a profound, long-term effect on their mental health.

• Some African Americans even see mental illness as a punishment from God. Up to 85 percent of African Americans describe themselves as “fairly religious” or “religious,” and they commonly use prayer as a way to handle stress, according to one study cited by the American Psychiatric Association.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."

"I'm rubber, you're glue; whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you."

Have you ever heard these statements? Have you ever used these statements yourself?

I am of the opinion that children, beginning at a younger and younger age, are often very aware of the impact words may have. By now, we all know that words may either cheer us up or bring us down. How often have you been left feeling angry, upset, hurt, disheartened, downtrodden (and so on and so forth) because of something someone said? When I think back several decades ago, bullying was often a physical action - someone pushed someone else, or hit them, tripped them, tied their shoe laces together, etc. - but in today's world, bullying is SO MUCH MORE.

Take a look at some of these definitions of bullying:

• "Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. Bullying can also take place through technology, known as cyberbullying. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles. " youth.gov - National Bullying Prevention Month

• "Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words or more subtle actions. The bullied individual typically has trouble defending him or herself and does nothing to “cause” the bullying." American Psychological Association

• "Bullying is an intentional behavior that hurts, harms, or humiliates a student, either physically or emotionally, and can happen while at school, in the community, or online. Those bullying often have more social or physical “power,” while those targeted have difficulty stopping the behavior. The behavior is typically repeated, though it can be a one-time incident. Students often describe bullying as when “someone makes you feel less about who you are as a person.”" PACER'S National Bullying Prevention Center

Q: What do these all have in common? A: The idea that bullying is an aggressive and intentional behavior designed to hurt another individual.