Many mental health issues go under-reported in the African American community. While the prevalence of mental health issues among African Americans is on par with their Caucasian counterparts overall, certain age groups, such as adolescents, experience more mental health issues than their white peers.
African Americans in the United States have had a tumultuous history, to say the least, and in recent years this has come to the forefront of the public consciousness. All politics aside, due to the racially charged climate in recent years, the recent and ongoing police brutality, and police shootings of Black people in America, there have been increased levels of anxiety and stress among Black people all across the country. Living in a constant state of elevated stress and tension can produce negative effects on someone’s mental health. When combined with a substance use disorder, this can lead to very negative outcomes. In this article, they will examine the state of mental health and substance abuse among African Americans today, and provide helpful resources for recovery from both of these conditions.
Mental health issues are just as common among African Americans as they are among any other race or ethnic group. That being said, there is a tendency for African American people to seek professional help for mental health issues less frequently than their white peers. This has many contributing factors, including a distrust of the medical establishment in America by Black people, due in large part to past betrayals of Black people by medical professionals under the guise of free medical treatment. While many of the issues that play into the wariness of seeking professional medical help are beyond someone’s power to control, this article will strive to provide as many different pathways to a solution as possible.
Population of focus: African American
Links to resource:
- Read the full article African American Addiction and Mental Health Support from Live Another Day.
- Learn more about Live Another Day.
- Read the full research paper Prevalence of Substance Use Disorders Among African Americans and Caribbean Blacks from the National Survey of American Life.
- Read the full research paper Anxiety Disorders Among African Americans, Blacks of Caribbean Descent, and Non-Hispanic Whites in the United States from the National Institutes of Health.
- Read the full research paper African American Men and Women’s Attitude Toward Mental llness, Perceptions of Stigma, and Preferred Coping Behaviors from the National Institutes of Health.
Date: 2021