Mental Illness And The Black Community

In fact, most feel as though their illness places them on the outskirts of society. Not only do they suffer the symptoms of their mental illness, but they also have to suffer the repercussions, the circumstances, and the labels that surround their diagnosis. In some cases, they are told it is doubtful that they will be able to hold a job or maintain stable relationships. In her memoir, Saks states,

The short documentary Crooked Beauty, directed by Ken Paul Rosenthal, narrates Jacks Ashley McNamara’s experience in a psychiatric ward and how her time in the facility shapes her new appreciation for her mental illness. One controversial issue has been trying to identify the true cause of mental illness. On the one hand, most people may think mental illness is simply a biological disorder that can be cured with a combination of medication and doctors demanding appropriate behavior until it sticks in the patient’s mind. On the other, McNamara contends that mental illness is a misconception with a patient’s oversensitivity, where it is harder for the patient to ignore certain events than “normal” people, and their doctor’s textbook knowledge. In McNamara’s mental institution, the psychiatrists simply trap her in a padded room and prescribe many different pills to suppress her mental illness instead of embracing her differences or showing her how to use those differences to her advantage. In attempt to prevent those who are mentally ill from feeling the same anger and frustration she felt, she demands a change in the line psychiatric treatment when she says:

As Metzl highlights, the misdiagnosing of schizophrenia was used as a tool of social control in the 1960s and 1970s. Racist bias structured in social and political institutions pathologized the unrest and anger felt by African American communities and thus incarcerated disproportionally high numbers of Black men under the guise of mental illness. Ultimately, this pathologizing of emotions felt by African American communities persists today. The manner in which Black men and women express anger is pathologized by society and it warps how the public perceives unrest in the Black community, especially in interactions between protestors and

Mental illness is and has always been a serious topic. But it has not always been taken as serious in the black community. From my research, scholars and medical professionals in the field of mental health spoke on the fact that mental illness is a stigma in the black community and the conversation of this is not happening. There are many factors that contributed to this. Factors such as the distrust of medical professionals, mis-diagnosis, socio-economical factors and so much more contribute to the reason the black community is missed when it comes to mental health. I also discovered the inside factors that were culture, religion, mis-education, and family reliance. This also becomes why it is a stigma or why it’s not talked about amongst everyone in the community.

These mental health concerns are attributable to the long-standing tradition that Latina women should not speak about their problems to anyone, regardless of their relationship. Poverty coupled with a secret vow of silence make Latina women more susceptible to diagnosable mental diseases like depression and anxiety. Latina women who may possess a mental illness not only refuse to talk about it, they do not seek out proper treatment. In the Latino community, mental illness is either ignored or negatively sanctioned. It is almost taboo to discuss having any sort of mental illness since many consider it to be a phase or issue of a different nature.

The portrayal of mental health in popular media shapes public perceptions and attitudes, often perpetuating harmful stereotypes and misconceptions that further segregate individuals struggling with mental health conditions. By consistently depicting characters with mental health issues as violent, unpredictable, or simply as objects of ridicule, the media perpetuates stigma, hindering progress toward inclusion and discouraging individuals from seeking help. Moreover, the trivialization or sensationalization of mental health struggles not only erodes empathy, but also undermines efforts to promote understanding and support within communities. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach, including media literacy education, industry guidelines promoting responsible portrayals, and increased representation of diverse experiences in storytelling. By challenging stigma and fostering accurate, empathetic representations of mental health in media, we can cultivate a culture that values emotional well-being, promotes open dialogue, and supports individuals in their journeys toward recovery and

Mental health is a serious stigma that is not spoken about within the Black community. There is this notion of being weak for seeking help as if the mental function of the brain is of no importance, however it is, for how is the body to function if the mind is sick or exhausted? The phrase “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired” perfectly stated by Fannie Lou Hamer on August 22, 1964 is prevalent today, however it would more appropriately reflect the struggle of mental health issue with Black women. Although this quote was in reference of Hamer’s inability to register to vote and other obstruction of justices she encountered which later resulted to her arrest, this quote and idea of tiredness is still very relevant to the modern Black women today. Black women are expected from adolescence to remain resilient in all adversities, regardless of mental exhaustion, for there is an unspoken expectation of maintaining this figment of a Strong Black Woman (SBW) as a way to cope with this physiological distress (N. Watson 604).

Self-pity and pessimistic attitudes remain a topic of discussion with a mentally ill patient, however the more valuable picture revolves around the stigma that the public holds towards those with a mental illness. Unrun Ozer, member of International Committee of National Journal Editors, acknowledges that, “Stigmatization is described as attributing someone in a way that would decrease the person’s reputation because the individual strays away from the general norms of the society” ( 225). Ozer clarifies that a stigma is an unfavorable viewpoint that society has on someone that is perceived as different. Those with a mental illness are susceptible to vulnerability because they are at a small disadvantage than the normal person. Negative connotations, such as adverse viewpoints and perplexing labels, affect the care and treatment process of those suffering because their compliance to treatment decreases. Society is too quick to judge and be ignorant if someone isn’t in perfect form, and Ozer reports, “ It has been reported that individuals with mental illnesses are seen by the society as dangerous, frightening, unstable, irresponsible, unpredictable, and having communication problems” (Ozer 225). Ozer declares that these labels are degrading to an individual with a mental illness, and cause feelings of introversion, decreased self-confidence, worthlessness, shame and despair. If we want happiness to be achievable for all, then criticizing individuals is a step in the wrong

A survey was conducted by Sherrill L. Sellers (Miami University of Ohio), Harold W. Neighbors, (University of Michigan), and Vence L. Bonham (Michigan State University) in order to address the interaction between goal-oriented stress and overall well being in 399 college-educated African American associated with a historically black national fraternal organization all over the world. Mental health of African American male populations is poorly understood due to unique social, racial, and psychological variables. Although many black men deem success possible, a great number identify resistance to success in the form of prejudice, discrimination, and minimal opportunities in comparison with their white counterpart.

Health care for mental illness is an issue in the African American community for Men, Women and Adolescents due to the underserving and lack of mental healthcare providers, the cultural stigma of having mental illness and

The article, “Working with Women of Color: An Empowerment Perspective” details the struggles of women of color face in America. They face discrimination based not only on their gender, but also their race. They receive less pay than men, and white women, have less education, they are more likely to have low paying jobs, and are more likely to live below the poverty line. Also, they are underrepresented in positions of power in government and corporations. This leads to women of color feeling powerless, which is correlated to mental illness. Women, the poor, and minorities are more likely to suffer from mental illness, so women of color are even more at risk, especially if they have a low socioeconomic status. This is one of the fastest growing populations in the United States.

When experiencing a mental illness, African Americans face obstacles “related to understanding the problem or situation and limitation in awareness of possible solutions, strategies remedies and resources” (Hines-Martin, Malone, Kim, & Brown-Piper, 2003). In a study by Hines-Martin (2003), participants verbalized that they did not think they were “crazy” and therefore did not need mental health services. In this instance participants showed a lack of knowledge about what mental health illness looks like. They identified mental illness as dichotomous states (Hines-Martin et al., 2003). A study by Mental Health America found similar results. In this study, a majority of African Americans surveyed believed that depression was a “health problem” and in some cases “normal” (MHA, 2012). Talking about mental illness is taboo for African Americans, and as a result they possess little knowledge about specific mental health problems or available treatments (Alvidrez et al., 2008). For African Americans, stigma serves as an impediment to problem recognition. Because they have a misconstrued idea of what mental illness is, they are less likely to contemplate that they have such problems. Alvidrez (2008) found that stigma prevented 65% of their survey respondents from contemplating that they had such problems. Because many African Americans are uninformed about what mental illness is and how it

Racism against African Americans and other ethnicities is still prevalent in our society. Salis (2015) mentions a recent poll of Caucasian and African Americans and found that sixty percent of those surveyed felt racial relationships ha vent improved and forty percent felt they were worse. In this paper, I will identify how a counselor can reduce the effects of racism and discrimination that has affected African Americans. Additionally, I will address what role a counselor plays in reducing the stigma of mental illness within the African American community. Furthermore, I will highlight the legal and ethical issues identified in the video

The lack of mental health care services for minorities is a long-standing problem in the United States. The first time the issue received attention was in 1985, when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report that described serious health discrepancies that minority populations were enduring. In 1986, because of this report, the Office of Minority Health was formed to assist in the reduction of the health care shortages for

Green herself was misjudged with the stigma of “just doing it for attention” (Green, 2005) by a psychiatrist in regards to her self-injuring tendencies, however, she found a supportive nurse practitioner who understood her mental disorder and found her a medication regimen that helped her to manage her symptoms and allowed her to function. Having someone who understands BPD beyond its stigma shows to be very beneficial to the recovery process, especially in seeking help, Green also mentioned she found another woman who was going through the feelings she was experiencing, they helped each other in crisis and were there for each other, even to the day she wrote her piece (Green, 2005). Finally, Green mentions the significant role her family played in her recovery, how her mother researched everything about her mental illness, the details of her daughter’s diagnosis and her medication (2005). Furthermore, the rest of Green’s family was said to have done everything they could to stand by her and encouraged her to regain her strength (Green, 2005). She expresses her sentiment towards her family’s support, writing “I never understood the value of family until I saw what they all went through for me.” (Green,