Running Head: MENTAL HEALTH AND AFRICAN AMERICANS 1

Mental Health and African Americans: A Review of the Literature

Dejah Tinney
Hampton University
MENTAL HEALTH AND AFRRICAN AMERICANS 2

Abstract
As you may know, mental health is a growing epidemic that affects our emotional,

psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps

determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Although mental health

affects everyone the same way, African Americans have even greater stress factors due to racism,

prejudice, and economic disparities. This literature review will inform the reader as to why the

African American community is hesitant to seek help regarding mental illness. Statistical data,

interviews, and journal articles will contribute to the research on why African Americans are less

likely to reach out for psychological help.

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Mental Health and African Americans: A Review of the Literature

African Americans share the same mental health issues as the rest of the population, with

even greater stress factors due to racism, prejudice, and economic disparities. Yet even among

the wealthy and elite, many African Americans continue to hold stigmatizing beliefs about

mental illness. African Americans can be viewed as prideful, which may have an effect on why

they are so hesitant to seek help. Many believe that mental health treatment was designed by

white people and only for white people. African Americans often think of a psychologist as

someone who is much older and white; someone who would be insensitive to the social and

economic realities of their lives.

Afraid of how they may be viewed by others, African Americans feel that if they seek treatment

it may reflect badly on not only themselves but their families as well. Also fearing that they

would be considered crazy in their social circles. Another reason why African Americans are

resistant to seek help is because many do not have insurance and cannot afford the treatments

they would need. Although many African Americans are able to see notice the resistance within

their community, but in order to learn more about its validity, four important questions need to be

considered:

1. Why are African Americans hesitant to seek psychological help?

2. What are the statistics of those affected?
3. Are there more of those affected in the African American population rather than the White
population? Why?
4. In which areas are African Americans affected by mental illness the most? What factors play
a role?
The following review on literature will provide information regarding mental health and the

African American community, statistical data on those affected in the community compared to

other ethnic groups, and discuss which areas African Americans are affected the most.
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Why are African Americans hesitant to seek psychological help?

African Americans are reluctant to enter therapy and seek professional treatment because

of cultural norms that have been propagated into African American communitys way of

thinking. Mental health in African American communities has not been thoroughly researched

because many do not want to be assessed. The popular view is that African Americans have

already been subjected to enough stigmatization through 2 mainstream media that they refuse to

open themselves up to further ridicule and also the attitude that many do not acknowledging

mental health problems as medical problems. As a culture African Americans continue to be

distrustful of Caucasians whom fill the majority of roles as mental health professionals. A 1996

survey on clinical depression by Mental Health America (MHA) identified several barriers to

treatment of African Americans. Out of the people interviewed their reasons for not going to

treatment was denial of a mental health problem, embarrassment/shame, did not want help, could

not afford treatment or did not have insurance, were too afraid, did now know enough about

treatment or their problem and felt too hopeless to seek treatment.

During an interview the author conducted with Brianna Smith, a freshman at Hampton

University majoring in psychology, she was asked her opinion as to why the African American

community is hesitant to seek the psychological help they may need rather than those of other

communities. Briannas answer was quite clear, It is looked down upon in the black community.

No one wants to admit that they have a problem, especially the parents of children that have a

mental illness. They think the solution is beating it out of the child instead of confronting the

issue. Especially if the parents are religious, they think its best to pray it out of you. But, no one

really takes mental illnesses serious in the black community. Growing up theyll just think youre

a bad child, they dont want to believe that you have issues going on. Although Briannas
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opinion is not scientific, in other research the author has conducted her opinion can be backed up

thoroughly. In the African community many people dont understand what a mental illness is and

rather avoid talking about it which leads to the lack of knowledge on mental illness causing

many to believe a mental condition is a weakness. Many African Americans rely on faith for

emotional support rather than turning to health care professionals, even though treatment may be

necessary.

What are the statistics of those affected?

According to the United States Census Bureau, 13.2% of the population identifies as

African American. Of those, over 16% had a diagnosable mental illness; that is over 6.8 million

people. African Americans are 20% more likely to be diagnosed with mental health problems

than the general population. Although developing a mental illness is common amongst all

communities, African Americans tend to experience more severe forms of mental conditions due

to unmet needs or other barriers such as homelessness making up 40% of the homeless

population and exposure to violence which can often cause cases of Posttraumatic Stress

Disorder. Common disorders that affect the African American community include PTSD, major

depression, ADHD, as well as suicide among young black men.

Are there more of those affected in the African American population rather than the White

population? Why?

Because African Americans steer away from seeking the help they may need, they are

more affected than those of the white population. Knowing you have a mental illness is one thing

but confronting it head on and getting help is another. African Americans tend to be less

informed on this subject causing them to be more unaware of the signs pointing towards having a

mental illness. Not being informed well enough can sometimes cause the illness to progress and
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get worse, depending on what the illness may be. Although we can all easily be diagnosed with

the same mental illness, African Americans are more likely to be affected due to social and

environmental factors those in the African American community experience causing conditions

to be slightly different. For example, African American children are more likely to be exposed to

violence than other children which can cause PTSD, depression, and anxiety according to an

article written by NAMI.

Racial minorities have less access to mental health services than whites making it less

likely to receive needed care, and when they do receive the care, it is more likely to be poor

quality. According to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, A major finding of this

Supplement is that racial and ethnic minorities bear a greater burden from unmet mental health

needs and thus suffer a greater loss to their overall health and productivity. In other words, if an

individual within the African American community does happen to seek psychological help, the

quality of the health care provided would not be as sufficient as the quality a white person would

receive, which can cause the individual to suffer even more than they originally had to.

In which areas are African Americans affected by mental illness the most? What factors
play a role?
Racism continues to have an impact on the African American community, negative

stereotypes and attitudes of rejection still occur. Whether there are more African Americans that

reside in rural areas or urbanized areas, the effect of mental health is all the same. Historically,

the more rural or countryside areas would have more of an effect on African Americans due to

the high level of racism in the south. Environmental and social factors definitely contribute to the

health of every community, especially those who identify as African American. The African

American community has even greater stress factors due to racism, prejudice, and economic

disparities Unfortunately, racism and social rejection still does occur today although it is not
MENTAL HEALTH AND AFRRICAN AMERICANS 7

socially accepted as it was before it still has an effect on the African Americans today. You may

still see some signs of rejection in a predominately white neighborhood rather than a

predominately black or a more diverse/mixed neighborhood.

People who are incarcerated, in poverty/very poor, homeless, or have substance abuse

problems are at a higher risk for poor mental health. Instances of mistreatment in the past have

led to a mistrust of authorities. Today, African Americans are over-populated in our prisons,

accounting for 60% of the prison population. Also accounting for 37% of drug arrests. If those in

the African American community were more open to acknowledging their mental health

problems and educating themselves and seeking the proper care, the numbers will decrease.

Conclusion

To conclude, mental health in the African American community has its differences from

other communities due to the social and economic challenges that they deal with or have dealt

with in the past and also on a daily basis. African Americans are often viewed as prideful, which

causes African Americans to continue to hold stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness. Also,

causing them to be hesitant to seek the help they may need.

References
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African American Mental Health. NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness | African
Americans. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 March 2017.
Akhtar, Salman. The African American Experience: Psychoanalytic Perspectives, Jason Aronson,
Lanham, 2012.

Breaking the Silence' A Summit on Behavioral (Mental) Health within the African American
Community: Sen. Hughes Plans a Mental Health Forum. Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001)
1998, pp. 1B.

Dirks-Linhorst, P. A. "An Analysis of Missouri's Insanity Acquittee Population, 1980-2009:

Differences within African American Insanity Acquittees." Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal
Justice, vol. 11.

Logan, Sadye L., Ramona W. Denby, and Priscilla A. Gibson. Mental Health Care in the African-
American Community, Haworth Press, New York, 2007.

Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity: A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the
Surgeon General. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(US); 2001 Aug. Chapter 1.

Smith, Brianna. Interview. 14 March 2017.

Tinney, Dejah. Why Do Blacks Avoid Psychological Help? (2017). Genre Analysis. Paper.

United States Census Bureau. (2014). Quick facts. Retrieved from

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST120215/00

Williamson, Monique Estelle, "The Reluctance of African-Americans to Engage in Therapy"

(2014). Public Access Theses and Dissertations from the College of Education and Human
Sciences. Paper 216.