African American Mental Health Essay

Many African-Americans have a hard time recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions, which lead to underestimating the effects and impact of mental health conditions. Too often people may think of depression as "the blues" or just “being sad” and something to snap out of. Because of the lack of information surrounding mental health issues, it's not always clear where to find help when you may need it. Education about the very real mental disorders and the treatment process is critical to reducing barriers to treatment among the African-American community (Williams, 2011). In the African-American community, family, and spiritual beliefs are often used as great sources of strength and support. However, research has found that many African-Americans rely on faith, family and social communities for emotional support rather than turning to …show more content…
15) the possessor. There is a stigma surrounding mental illness and this stigma is usually even more prevalent in minority communities and communities of color. The stigmatization of those with mental illness is especially alarming because the stigma is a fundamental cause of the health inequalities faced by those with mental illness (Hatzenbuehler, Phelan, and Link 2013).
Many myths and misconceptions contribute to stigma. A common misconception sometimes perpetuated by the media- is that people with mental illnesses tend to be violent. The vast majority of people with mental health problems are no more likely to be violent than anyone else. Most people with mental illness are not violent and only 3%-5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness (Mental Health Myths, 2013). In fact, people with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population (Mental Health Myths,