Preview

The Disregard For Mental Health In The Black Community

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
792 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Disregard For Mental Health In The Black Community
As I observe my community, I tend to notice the disregard for mental health, in particular, in the Black community. Those in the Black community are just as likely to have any form of a mental-illness as their racial counterparts, however due to ambiguous reasons they are led astray from seeking help. Such as the stigma of being told “you're crazy” or “just deal with”. Based on the history of African- Americans or Blacks, we have been told to be strong and not weak. In the eyes of the Black community, mental illness has always been viewed as “White people issues” and never been taken seriously. What many do not realize is that those in the Black community below the poverty line are three times more likely to be diagnosed with mental health issues than those above the poverty line. There is also a stigma against going to the hospital, because God is the ultimate healer. Long ago, African Americans did not have access to doctors or care. Not only did they not have access to care, but they could not afford it, they had to heal themselves; this is where the stigma or fear of the doctor began. Now many churches have begun to partner with care providers to help out their members. Mental illness is not a topic to be taken lightly or to turn a blind eye. We should not judge others based on issues, but on their strength of facing their demons …show more content…
She started on Instagram about two years ago and has grown tremendously since then with over 40,000 followers and an offline platform. Colorism and skin bleaching are not directly mental issues, but they have an impact on the mental and social health of humans. Constantly feeling lower or unworthy compare to others may lead to depression, self doubt, and much more. Us Darkskins combats the social beliefs of having one set norm of
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Oliver Sacks The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat
    • 1115 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Oliver Sacks The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat

    Mental health has always been looked upon as a tragic illness that affects the person who has it, but at the same time can affect the people surrounding, and the society. Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and OCD are all examples of mental illnesses that have brought a lot of pain to individuals and their families. From time to time, in events such as mass murders in which the person who is responsible was diagnosed with a mental illness, the media tends to make it sounds as if mental health should be a public social problem, when in reality it is more of a private and personal issue. Unfortunately, those kinds of illnesses prevent the person who has it from living a normal life and from being themselves,…

    • 1115 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Advocacy for Diverse Clientele
    • 1107 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Advocacy for Diverse Clientele

    Gulf Coast Center for Law and Policy. (2014). Coalition of African American Women. Retrieved from http://www.gcclp.org.…

    • 1107 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Sociology of Mental Illness Paper Assignment
    • 1445 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Sociology of Mental Illness Paper Assignment

    Even though most of the Sociological Model of Mental Illness is concerned with factors in the social structure such as: social class, age, race, and gender contribute to the rate of mental disorder, there has been a lot of research regarding the branding concerns of mental illness as a social status. The research is essentially motivated by the collection of concepts known as the labeling theory. Within the concepts, theoretical and experimental develops in the sociological understanding of dishonor connected with mental illness. Furthermore, the concepts shows how sociologists have contributed to our understanding of public conceptions of mental illness and public reactions to mental illness. There has been a lot of progress and prospects in research on the effects of stigma on people with mental illness.…

    • 1445 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A Look at Healthypeople 2020 Health Disparities
    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Look at Healthypeople 2020 Health Disparities

    Do you know someone with a mental illness? Do you know someone who has been turned down for employment because of having a mental illness? Do you have a family member or a patient that has a mental illness and has experienced the challenges of trying to find a service that hasn’t been reduced or completely cut?…

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Socio-Economic Status Of African Americans
    • 42 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Socio-Economic Status Of African Americans

    The historical calamity which includes but is not limited to slavery, dehumanization and race-based exclusion from health, political, educational, social and economic resources results into socioeconomic disparities that many African Americans experience today. Socioeconomic status has a direct link to mental…

    • 42 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Cultural Barriers To Health Care Essay
    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Cultural Barriers To Health Care Essay

    With the specified barriers to healthcare and discussion of mental illnesses within clinics and traditional medical settings, the integration of mental health into the overall health care system becomes even more vital (Rios-Ellis, 2004). Care for most illnesses is commonly covered by private and public insurance but most insurance plans only provide a certain amount of coverage for treating mental illness. The separation that exists with respect to financing mental health care when equated to traditional health services must be removed (Avila, 2000). The separation between traditional health care and mental health care can have an outcome of numerous negative effects such as the compromise of continuity of care. Due to the continuance of mental illnesses and the many ways in which they affect physical well-being, it is important that the system move in the direction of equal behavioral health services when comes to the Hispanic population.…

    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Mental Illness Film Analysis
    • 882 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Mental Illness Film Analysis

    A major problem that needs to solved is the stigmatization of mental illness and related treatments for mental illness. This problem needs to be solved faster than ever because the number of people diagnosed with mental illnesses such as depression is growing but the way mental illnesses are portrayed is not changing. We need to work towards bettering this mental health system for future generations because the way it has been functioning is not working.…

    • 882 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    press release
    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages

    press release

    “This survey reveals that African Americans tend to rely on family, religious and social communities for emotional support rather than turning to health care professionals, even though this may at times be necessary,” said Samuel Seitel, chief editor of Our Lives magazine.…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Health Disparities In African American Culture
    • 2314 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Health Disparities In African American Culture

    Some African Americans attend church every Sunday along with other church related activities, while others attend occasionally, watch church service on television or only go on Easter Sunday. Religion is a corner stone in the Black community providing fellowship, community and a second or extended family. The church is also used for support and is often used as a vehicle for health screening (Levin, J., Chatters, L. M., & Taylor, R. J., 2005).…

    • 2314 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Mental Health In The African-American Community
    • 2485 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Mental Health In The African-American Community

    African Americans, can also be referred as the Afro Americans or the Black Americans, are the residents and citizen of the Unites States who have their roots linked to at least the partial ancestry of the native population of Sub-Saharan Africa. They are also the direct descendants of enslaved Africans that were within the boundaries of the present day United States. Most of the African Americas are the descendants from West Africa, while others may also the immigrant from various regions of the west, including, Africa, Caribbean, South American or Central American Nations. In the United States, African Americans are considered the single biggest racial minority. The history…

    • 2485 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Mental Health Stigma
    • 1345 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Mental Health Stigma

    Mental health and the need for mental health awareness has become a rising issue in society in recent years; youth health classes have started to include mental health units as part of the curriculum, and some of the stigma that comes with seeing therapists and admitting to mental health disorder has lessened. However, this is not the case with every demographic in America. In a piece titled, “Asian-Americans Tackle Mental Health Stigma,” published on WebMD, author Katherine Kam explains the wide statistical gap between Asian Americans who are in need of mental health services and those who actually force themselves to go out and utilize those services. Many demographics of Asian Americans are stereotyped as being quiet and submissive, and…

    • 1345 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    African American Mental Health
    • 104 Words
    • 1 Page

    African American Mental Health

    There is also the social influences and stigmas that are associated with the illness. Depending on one’s culture mental illness is not something that people seek treatment for. In the African American community, they tend to lean more towards faith and religion when dealing with mental health issues as oppose to seeking professional medical treatment (NAMI, n.d). Only about one-quarter of African Americans seek mental health care, compared to 40% of whites (NAMI n.d) Looking at the social-economic demographic 45 percent of homeless people have been diagnosed with having mental health related issues but because of their circumstance are unable to seek adequate…

    • 104 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mental Illness In The African American Community
    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Mental Illness In The African American Community

    A client's culture can contribute in a big way when it comes to personal bias and diagnosis. In the African American community specifically mental illness is a disease that is not discussed and something that you definitely do not go to see a doctor about. African Americans are presumably more affected by mental than any other culture does to reasonings such as ongoing racial discrimination, high poverty, and constant segregation(Clifton, D, 2015).Those in the African American community tend to rely heavily on religion in hopes to heal their ones.Also, the stigma that is associated with the disease also deters those who may be suffering from mental illness for fear of being shunned by family and those in the community. Also, lack of accessibility and affordability prolongs diagnosis to a point where health begins to deteriorate, causing mounting issues to the point where making some form of diagnosis difficult.…

    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Mental Illness: The Dehumanization Of African Americans
    • 1351 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Mental Illness: The Dehumanization Of African Americans

    Years of discrimination & prejudice have normalized the suffering of black people in America, leading to a distrust of institutions of mental health and health in general. The insidious belief that black people are somehow immune to mental illness and that religion is the almighty remedy comes from a history of dehumanization by the scientific community, society, and the media. These channels not only create stereotypes, but also enforce them to the point that these are the only acceptable ways of living, hence the racist tropes of the “Strong Black Woman” and the “happy darky,” etc. Maleficent societal forces are epitomized in the unholy trinity: God, Blackness, and Mental Illness (“Black Folks and Mental Illness: Why Do We Suffer…

    • 1351 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Broken Crayons
    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Broken Crayons

    The Broken Crayons…Still Color Project (BCSCP) by Healthy Heritage Movement (HHM) goal is to provide education, information dissemination, and outreach related to reducing mental health disparities and stigma among African-American (AA) women in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The project will develop six mental health ministries in Black churches comprising of five components. The components consist of the training (curriculum), congregation focused education and outreach, mental health resource guide, community outreach, and mental health awareness promoted through the Mind Your Health Advocates. The project will provide a continuum of culturally responsive faith-based mental prevention, early intervention, and education developed and facilitated by AA women.…

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics