“Black people don’t have those problems” “That’s a
white people thing” How many times have you heard this phrase being used by
someone who has been, undoubtedly, misguided? Let’s just say, I would probably
be rich right now if I charged every time I overheard either of those
phrases. While there is a huge problem with the dismissal and lack of mental
health care in the African American community, this post specifically focuses
on women of color and Depression. Black
women are taught to be strong, witty, feisty, the backbone, the prayer warrior,
the glue that holds the family together. We are never sick. We are never tired,
but ohhh to be brown and depressed. Depression is difficult for anyone who has
to face it but the lack of communal support, the down play, and ridicule that
brown women face when they associate themselves with depression is disheartening.
Health care clinicians and the African American
community have always shared a turbulent and untrusting relationship due to the
years of unethical experiments and procedures that were done to embarrass,
demasculate and even kill the Black race. It seemed as if physicians were
treating them for every purpose other than helping them reach optimal health.
These happenings have formulated a mistrust amongst the African American
community and doctors. (a tiny bit of
background information to help you understand where the root of the distrust
sprouted.)
Jumping back to the purpose of this post, the video I
shared provides such a colorful illustration of what it means to be brown and
depressed. The absence of communal support, the religious dependency, and the
inability to recognize the illness creates an ongoing battle that deteriorates,
both the mental and physical, health of Black women. There are a number of blogs
and articles that discuss the problems surrounding mental health care in the
African American community, (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nia-hamm/depression-african-american-women_b_5836320.html)
https://psychcentral.com/lib/african-american-women-and-depression/
however there are still few resources that contribute to the resolution of the
issue.
My post is not meant to show a lack of discernment for
women of other races who face depression, but it is to shed light on a matter
that is not often discussed. This illness is the source of much distress for anyone
who is consumed by it, but due to the lack of acceptance and knowledge about
the disorder, black women are forced to repress their struggles and pretend to
be okay which only enhances the severity of their depression. I am curious to
hear your thoughts on an issue that impacts a community of people. My questions
for you are as follows: Were you previously aware of the matters discussed in
the post? How can we begin to bridge this gap of mistrust? What are some ways
that we can shed light on the importance of mental health care in the African
American community?
This is an amazing post. Thank you for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteI think this is largely an issue that is under recognized in the mental health community due to cultural issues such as the strength that you mentioned.
My previous thoughts on this were not much to be honest. This, I think, is largely the issue. We dont tend to think that black populations are in need of help unless they come to us. This is touched on really well in the video as she mentioned that she made her career on creating a bridge between religion and therapy. I feel like this is a prime example of how we can bring awareness to this issue.
While religion is very good as a cultural buffer it is really one of those things that does not solve all the problems one can have. It is made even worse because when people see that religion isnt working for them, they may feel abandoned by God or their religion and have others tell them either implicitly or explicitly that they are not doing it right. This can make people feel even more alone than they did before, which further exacerbates the issue.
A whole post could be written on that so I wont go into too much detail, but it all points back to the messages below what we are saying. When we say that God can solve all problems, are we not just saying that if you have problems that are unsolvable at the moment that you are not connecting with your religion in the right way?
While you or I may say that therapy is part of the master plan and just another way to use faith, many people suffer because they do not see what we, as educated students, see more easily.
Hey Connor! This was a really interesting read. I was aware of these issues from studying psychology in undergrad, but hearing someone's story really painted a picture of being a woman of color who struggles with depression. It really shows the heartache and isolation instead of the statistics I heard in psychology classes. I can see why the African American community would be mistrustful of the medical community after all the horrible things that the medical community has done such as the Tuskegee experiments in which researchers told African American men they were treating them, but instead purposely infected them with syphilis to see what happened when it was left untreated. I think one great thing that has helped bridge the gap of mistrust is the huge surge of African Americans who have gone into medicine and mental health related fields. As far as shedding light on mental health in the African American community, I think Dr. Balmani has done a great job of letting the members of her congregation know that they aren't turning against God if they seek help from a therapist. I love Dr. Balamani's quote from the video "You've got to put your own gas mask on first." Spreading awareness of self-care is essential. Let people know that taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It's essential for being well and continuing to take care of others.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post! The video clip was so informative and very poignant. Hearing about the social worker who did not (or could not) see her own depression as well as the minister trying to bridge a gap between religion/faith and therapy was important.
ReplyDeleteYou wrote: "The absence of communal support, the religious dependency, and the inability to recognize the illness creates an ongoing battle that deteriorates, both the mental and physical, health of Black women." I think you truly did illuminate this issue with this blog post. While I was aware of some of the matters discussed in this post due to my previous work as a lactation counselor for predominantly African American women, I think that it is crucial for that sense of communal support (for mental health services) to come from within the Black community. This may be a misunderstanding or incorrect assumption, but at least in certain cases, it seems it would be a much more powerful testimony, so to speak, for a black woman or women to communicate these issues to other black women - advocacy within the community. Although individuals and systems outside of the community can be allies, supporters, proponents, and so forth (and also need to be sensitive and open to cultural differences); there is such power in hearing these messages from people with whom we can truly relate. Thoughts?
I had very few thoughts on this before reading your blog. I never think of races have different statistics for the same category. I was very enlightened by Dr. Choate's information about wage gap in different races. Maybe this is because I do not have a researchers mind and always thinking of multiple categories or maybe its because I choose to be blind to different races and factors affecting them. I like to think equally. Relating to someone else opens pathways for trust and open communication and closes misguidance and mistrust. Shedding light on Mental health is needed for all race, gender, communities, population, etc. If people are unaware of the issues than nothing can be done to change them. Making issues prominent and forefront can help lead to better peer to peer conversation about mental health.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very bold post and much needed, as I see it in my classmates reactions it does highlight the lack of knowledge and awareness on this issue. Depression in minorities, particularly in the black demographic is a very real issue.
ReplyDeleteA phrase that resonated with me from the video was from the psychologist advising other women in her congregation that by seeking mental health help they are "not turning against God". One realm does not have to be mutually exclusive, religion and mental health can be integrated as two forms of healing.
A way to create awareness is to normalize mental health as a helping profession where wellness is the goal and not pathology. By introducing mental health as a lifestyle rather an illness it will be more inviting. By presenting the topic at churches or community centers, by providing information on the signs and symptoms of depression and other illnesses that are downplayed in minorities, it will shed light on the importance of it in the community at large.
In my opinion, a way to bridge the gap of mistrust between the African American community and the helping professions is by presenting it in schools early on, advocating to have funding for minority students who will go on to increase diversity in a male and WASP dominated field. Once they are representative of the various demographics they will hopefully be present in communities and increase the level of trust and rapport amongst those who doubt the effectiveness or validity of mental health aid.
Connor, your post brings a too-often overlooked area within African American communities and how they are portrayed in the media. Most often, news stories, academics, and general word-of-mouth talk focuses on the topics of (institutionalized) racism, police shootings, and colorism as it applies to black girls' beauty. You are right in saying that it Black women's mental health is overlooked, if not absent from most discussions related to African American communities and the struggles they face. Along with being because Black women are perceived as "the backbone" of Black communities and of the U.S. in general, I'd attribute this to the fact that, in very real ways, Black women are still seen first and foremost as part of the African American race as opposed to women of the African American race. In a way, I think that Black women are thus perceived(by public opinion and mainstream media) as not being actual women with women's responsibilities, so much as a figure of womanhood.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that even a trained social worker was unable to recognize depression in herself. This leads me to wonder if Black women, even when aware of the signs/signals of depression in other Black women (or women overall), are so caught up in looking outward that they don't see themselves as having the same struggles as other women might? Put another way, are African American women fixed in a position that doesn't allow for easy recognition of their own concerns, that, in turn, plays into the idea of a Black woman as a figure of womanhood rather than an actual woman--until such time as it becomes apparent due to explicit danger to themselves? (in her case a breakdown)
What're your thoughts on this? More importantly, how might it be addressed on a much broader scale?
Connor, great blog! It makes so much sense as to why Black women are hesitant to reach out to the mental health community for help. Last week I attended a conference and I sat in on a session about counseling the military community. As I read through your blog I started thinking how there are some similarities of these two groups and their cultural view of seeking mental health counseling in general. We have talked in this class how Black women are raised to be strong independent women, which are values that are also important to those in the military. When so many people rely on you to be strong, it makes sense as to why you might avoid going to counseling because others might see it as a sign of weakness. I loved the quote from the video clip about how women need to put their gas mask on first, before helping anyone else. It is so important for Black women to know the signs of depression and to know that it is okay to ask for help. I think videos like the one you posted and your blog can be extremely helpful for raising awareness about Depression in the African American Community.
ReplyDeleteConner, I do love that you did this topic. I am definitely aware of this issue. Black Mental Health awareness has been increasingly given exposure and I am an advocate for it. Black women have been faced with the stereotype, like others may have been, of being "crazy" or "weak" for seeking help. Especially, when it's true that they are expected to be strong women. Black women also hesitate to seek help due to the doubt of finding someone who can relate to their thoughts/feelings and give the correct assistance. They don't want to be judged for what they are going through or dealing with. There's this wall that's put up to prevent others from "being in their business." Black women don't want to find a psychiatrist and spill all their feelings only to be prescribed pills that's suppose to fix one thing, but cause dysfunction of ten other things. I personally don't like taking medication or have a strong belief in drugs, on top of the mistrust and history of the medical field in America. So much to the point that I am skeptical about and told not to even be a organ donor. We've been faced with so much, from a country whom we're considered the backbone for, that it's hard not to feel like walking targets or be cautious of what medical advice we take. Some get great help, others not so much. Although the increasing numbers of African Americans in the medical field has helped, I don't believe it's enough to close the gap completely. I feel that it needs to start within the black community by openly discussing the importance of mental health and accepting that the symptoms/problems that come with mental illness are in fact real. God is deeply rooted within the belief of the healing process in the African American community. However, rather than telling a black woman to "just pray about it" when things are terrible, help them find the appropriate help. I do agree that it's not turning away from God, but simply "putting your gas mask on first." We can't take care others if we are in bad shape ourselves. Also, other races and gender needs to be aware of the situation. In some cases, they may have something to do with depression in black woman. It's so much going on in the world alone that affects them can cause an black woman distress, to add her misfortunes in her own world is stress that could be unmeasured. Therefore, we need to work on this issue together and not sweep it under the rug.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that this was such a major topic before reading your post. Although with that, I do know that mental health in general is a very difficult topic for all who suffer. I think that if you take race out of the question there are a vast majority of people who have mental illnesses that feel the same way a brown women. No person wants to openly admit that they are struggling mentally. Maybe because it might translate into some kind of physical weakness and people might think lesser of them. Either way its hard for anyone to show weakness and there are people who cannot except that mental illness is a problem. This leads to a desire to hide problems that could be cured with support and a sense of mental well being.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I would completely agree with you that brown women face different battles than women of other races. They are expected to be the strong, independent, head of the household who can cook, clean, and support a large family, while still going to church three or more times a week to help out (not that other races do not have the same expectations - superwoman - but I would say there is a much stronger emphasis on it in the black community). I also believe that with such a strong religious up bringing, have some kind of mental illness may carry the belief that you are not serving God in the right way because if you were you would not be having this "mentally impure issues".
Overall though, I think that depression and mental illnesses are hard to talk about and people would rather bury them than talk about them. If we can start to gain some acceptance that this is an okay issue to have, then I think the gap can start to close.
Connor, despite my previous awareness of this issue, the video you shared was illuminating. The under-treatment of black women who suffer from depression is particularly worrisome when one considers that black women are already at a higher risk of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) than any other group. There is also a difference in the ways depressive symptoms are expressed by African American females. Black women are more likely to experience physical ("somatic") symptoms than cognitive ones. This difference may be one reason that recognizing depression is difficult for black women. They are not aware of the various ways depression can look in different people. It certainly doesn't help that many media portrayals of depression are inaccurate or unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteFixing the mistrust between the African American population and health professionals is an obvious concern but it is something I believe will be fixed in time. It also does not help that the higher rate of poverty in the African American community means that many African American women do not have access to proper healthcare, including mental health services. They are not aware of affordable options for mental health and there may not be any in their community. Proper advertisement for affordable mental health services within their local communities would be helpful.
As Sayra mentioned before, shedding light on depression and other mental health disorders will be more beneficial and effective if done within local community centers and churches. These places would ensure that the message is spread within the local community and also hopefully increase acceptance. The inclusion of churches and religion is of particular importance and it is imperative that mental health professionals work alongside religious leaders, pastors, or priests to increase awareness and acceptance within their congregations.
I am aware of the matters discussed in your Blog and am glad that you have chosen this topic. I believe we can begin to bridge this gap by changing the way we 1. View mental health as a society 2. Increase funding to increase mental health resources 3. Desensitize people to decrease the mental health stigma 4. Explore alternative approaches to mental health
ReplyDeleteWe were actually discussing this issue during our team planning session the other day.
We are going to explore ways we can normalize mental health and increase rapport by proposing our mental health professionals attend bi-weekly small group sessions and become a staple in our summer bridge program. We believe this will help students trust mental health professionals and help students view them as a team member.
.We want our students to view mental health as a normal part of our community and not something or someone who should be avoided or “told to go see”. We are also researching mindfulness practices to provide our students the tools necessary to explore mental health in a non-threatening way. As with any change, education is necessary. This issue is no different. We must continue to have conversations about this topic, petition for more funding, and explore alternate methods to change the way we currently approach mental health in this country.
Thank you for the post Connor! This is a very interesting topic and very real as well. Without a doubt we know that depression is a terrible mental illness and it is even worse when sufferers are not able to openly discuss about it. I was previously aware of this issue, however, I did not realize how terrible it is especially for African American women who have to deal with societal norms and pretend everything is okay when it clearly is not. Just like you mentioned above, I do think that the lack of acceptance and knowledge about the disorder is one of the main reasons why African American women are forced to repress their feelings.
ReplyDeleteSome of the things we can start doing in order to bridge this gap of mistrust and let others know the importance of mental health care in African American community is through awareness campaigns around the world and providing statistical information so communities know and understand that this is a real thing and we should start fixing this.
Great post Connor! This is such an important topic that so many people are unaware of. I was aware of the stigma black women face with mental illness and how they feel pressure to hold it all in and refrain from seeking professional help. I was unaware, however, about how difficult it is for women of color to even recognize the signs and symptoms of depression. This video did a great job showing the severity of this issue, and how detrimental it can be to both mental and physical health. It is news stories and blog posts like yours that will help spread awareness to the African American community about mental illness and the importance of seeking mental health services. Education is the first step – teaching what mental illness is and how to recognize the signs and symptoms is crucial. Once it can be identified, black women need to feel supported, that they are not alone in this, and that they are not rejecting God if they seek help. I agree with Liz that the presence of more African American men and women in the medical and other health fields is a huge first step in bridging the gap of mistrust, and I hope to see these numbers continue to increase.
ReplyDeleteI was unaware of the history of ignoring mental health issues in African Americans. Your blog post brought to light an issue that I was completely unaware of. It is completely disgraceful that physicians would treat African Americans as experiments and not as human beings and provide the proper interventions for their issues. Therefore, it does make sense that the African American community would not trust the medical community. It is important to bridge this gap of mistrust since so many of these issues go untreated. I think the easiest way to bridge this gap is by opening dialogue between African Americans. There needs to be an end to the statements you opened the blog with. Mental health issues are not white people issues, they are human issues. African Americans need to be open about issues they may be having as well as accepting of others' issues. Without this openness and acceptance, the gap will only widen.
ReplyDeleteI think the topic you discussed here is very important. I did not realize how different the access to mental health services was. Obviously that is a problem because everyone deserves to have access to help, when they need it. I think it is truly on everyone to help make a change in this area of minority health care. Only when we, as a group, take action will real change occur. I think it is imperative that we demand a change to the system that encourages African American women to be honest about how they are feeling, and have the ability to seek help if they want/need it. Raising awareness about this issue surely would be the cornerstone to success.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important conversation to keep happening so I am veru glad you chose this! I agree with Tesa in the sense that one of the major issues is our societies view on mental health in general. We live in a society where having any mental health disorder comes with a stigma if you are bold enough to come out aboit it and if you do not your issue is never valid and all people see are the flaws or annoyances. A great way to help close the gap is to work on the main issue and help irradicate this stigma and one way to do that is to continue to make known the struggle associated for multiple different demographics. The more we talk about it, the more it can no longer be avoided. A way to approach this issue is teaching people they have a voice and communication in general, to rebuild that trust in the medical system, African American women have to be just as willing to address it as medical professionals.
ReplyDeleteConnor- thank you for bring these important issue to the surface. As a researcher, I am curious what or if there is more depression in blacks versus other ethnicities. In addition, if black women suffer greater than black men? Is there a common or similar "reason" fro depression in the African American community? I think mental health is a major issue in America ...period. I feel change in our system needs to occur. Again, thank you for bringing awareness to these issue.
ReplyDeleteHey Conner, I very much enjoyed reading your post. I was aware of this issue to some degree from psychology classes, but not in the same depth that you have presented it in your post. I thought it was interesting how one of the women in the video discussed the fact that it didn't occur to her that she may have depression. I think the inability to recognize the illness is very telling about the lack of mental health care in the African American community and other minority communities as well. I think spreading awareness about this issue is very important and will hopefully give support to those people suffering from mental health issues and know that they aren't alone and that there is nothing wrong with them for experiencing some of these issues like depression. Hopefully with the help of present and future counselors and doctors, there will be a bridging of the gap of mistrust. I think that it is important that counselors and doctors hold themselves to a high standard so that they do no harm to the public, which will hopefully help to gain more trust from minority communities.
ReplyDeleteHey Conner, I very much enjoyed reading your post. I was aware of this issue to some degree from psychology classes, but not in the same depth that you have presented it in your post. I thought it was interesting how one of the women in the video discussed the fact that it didn't occur to her that she may have depression. I think the inability to recognize the illness is very telling about the lack of mental health care in the African American community and other minority communities as well. I think spreading awareness about this issue is very important and will hopefully give support to those people suffering from mental health issues and know that they aren't alone and that there is nothing wrong with them for experiencing some of these issues like depression. Hopefully with the help of present and future counselors and doctors, there will be a bridging of the gap of mistrust. I think that it is important that counselors and doctors hold themselves to a high standard so that they do no harm to the public, which will hopefully help to gain more trust from minority communities.
ReplyDeleteAs it relates to the topic of mental illness and pertaining specifically to African American women, I was not aware of the amount of light that needs to be shed on the issue to help those individuals. When it comes to the younger population I am aware of the amount of mental illness that is about, but only with this population. When it comes to various cultures, races, or the older age group, I can honestly confess I do not feel I have enough knowledge or background of the topic.
ReplyDeleteBeginning to bridge the gap I think could start with any professionals or well known African American female figures who have previously suffered from any mental illness, and they could be the voice for this minority. Coming from someone of power and being well knows their voice could represent the group and bring light to the subject. Along with this any campaigns could help the fight.
On a personal level, we could reach out to any African American females we know personally and see their thoughts on the subject and possibly show them the video. I think it would be interesting to know how many of them have understood the subject and material discussed here. Getting the information firsthand would also allow us to see any areas that need work so this problem is no longer in the dark.
Thank you for sharing Connor! I enjoyed watching the video and seeing a real life example of what you are shedding light on in your post. I was previously aware of this issue just from my counseling classes and also from witnessing it in the Christian community. I love how the pastor in the video said she encourages her congregation to use mental health services. I think this is a great way to build trust and acceptance of utilizing counseling services. We should reach out to leaders in the African American community and let them spread the information of resources to the community. If someone hears information from someone they trust they are much more likely to accept it and try it out. I also agree with Sayra, that introducing mental health services in schools could be a great help. If children learn from the start that it is not taboo or “weak” to talk about your emotions and go to counseling, they will be more likely to continue as an adult.
ReplyDeleteConnor, thank you for posting about this topic!! I think it is so incredibly important to shine light on this issue because, as you have pointed out, barely anyone is aware of it. I was aware of this issue before but your post put into perspective how bad it really is. It's amazing to me that even a social worker did not recognize her own depression. The African American community definitely upholds the women in the family with dignity and respect; however, the many responsibilities and expectations that are put on them can be overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the best ways to bridge the gap between the mistrust is to advocate for more Black women to pursue careers in psychology and counseling. Although, this will be difficult if they do not think it is needed. However, over time I hope that that the awareness of mental health improves. We have learned before that it is important for our clients to feel like they are understood. I think that an African American client would much rather have a counselor who is also African American so that they know you are genuinely relating to them and understand their struggle.
Seminars and public events were the first two ideas that came to mind when I thought about how mental health can be spoken to the African American community. Women can share their own personal stories just like the woman in this video did. I think that personal testimonies are the most powerful tools for gaining awareness.