Black Unemployment Crisis takes Toll On Kids’ Mental Health

Written By: Dr. Tyeese G. Reed

In Black households, unemployment has additional distinct features. In a study of 7,000 households, Black middle-class children whose parents lost their jobs were three times more likely to postpone plans for college.

Instead, some of these children entered the workforce in order to financially support the household. An older study, also by Kalil, showed that children of single mothers who remained unemployed for an extended period of time developed lower self-esteem and were more likely to drop out of school. Nearly half of all Black households are run by single mothers.

In the case of a working parent who was once emotionally distant and consumed by work, staying home during unemployment may have positive effects on the children. It is also beneficial for the child to see more gender equality, if, for example, dad is home helping with more of the domestic duties, Dr. Breland-Noble says.

Dr. Bell believes that post-traumatic growth — or the emotional development that happens following adversity — can have long-term psychological benefits, and is key to managing stressful events moving forward. “It forces you to realize what’s really important,” he says.

Experts do agree that children who feel safe, have a good sense of who they are, have solid relationships with others, and whose parents are resilient tend to cope better than other children.
Parents are encouraged to have open, age-appropriate dialogue with their children about the anticipated stress and lifestyle changes at the start of the unemployment period.