Life
Mental health and the African American
In the United States, in keeping with the prevalence of health disparities in practically every other area of health, the African-American community suffers disproportionately from both mental health and mental health treatment.
African-Americans account for only 2 percent of psychiatrists, 2 percent of psychologists, and 4 percent of social workers in the United States.
Mental illnesses affect, and are affected by, chronic conditions such as cancer, heart and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and HIV/AIDS and social conditions like unemployment and racism.
According to a Surgeon General report, African Americans are over-represented in populations that are particularly at risk for mental illness. Mental illness (e.g. depression) robs people of the enjoyment found in daily life and can even lead to suicide. A common myth about depression is that it is “normal” for certain people to feel depressed—older people, teenagers, new mothers, menopausal women, or those with a chronic illness. The truth is that depression is not a normal part of life for any African American, regardless of age or life situation. Unfortunately, depression has often been misdiagnosed in the African American community.
Compounding this disparity in mental health is the existence of a pervasive stigma that is held widely in the African-American community: ”They might think I’m crazy.” And as a result less than half of African American adults with mental illness seek treatment for mental health problems, and less than one third of their children receive treatment.