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Mental Health in the African American Culture

Giggi Pearson

Arizona State University

SWG 533

November 5, 2023
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Abstract

The resistance to seeking and receiving mental health treatment among African Americans is a

complex issue influenced by historical, cultural, and systemic factors. This paper highlights and

explores research over the key aspects and factors contributing to this resistance, including the

historical trauma of slavery and systemic racism, the stigma associated with mental health,

cultural coping mechanisms, and disparities in access to care. Additionally, it emphasizes the

importance of understanding these factors to develop culturally sensitive and effective mental

health interventions. Addressing these challenges is crucial for reducing mental health disparities

and improving the well-being of African Americans.

Keywords: African American, mental health, resistance, stigma, cultural factors, disparities,

historical trauma, access to care.

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Mental Health in the African American Culture

Mental health is a critical component of one’s overall well-being, yet there exists a

persistent and concerning trend within African American communities—the resistance to mental

health care. Despite the increasing awareness of mental health issues in contemporary society,

many individuals within the African American community continue to face significant barriers

when seeking and accepting mental health treatment. This resistance is deeply rooted in a

complex interplay of historical, cultural, and systemic factors, and it has profound implications

for the mental health and overall quality of life of African Americans.

Historically, the African American community has faced a variety of challenges,

including slavery, segregation, discrimination, and systemic racism. The traumatic experiences of

these historical injustices continue to impact generations, influencing the community's

perceptions of mental health care. Furthermore, stigma remains an obstacle as mental health

often regarded as a sign of weakness or vulnerability. This stigma can deter individuals from

seeking help and, consequently, can lead to the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of mental

health issues within this population. Cultural factors play a significant role in shaping the

resistance to mental health care in African American communities. Many individuals draw

strength from their cultural values and spirituality to cope with adversity, which can sometimes

lead to a reluctance to engage with Western mental health practices. This cultural reliance on

alternative coping mechanisms can create a disconnect between traditional forms of support and

contemporary mental health services.

Recognizing and addressing this resistance is essential to reduce mental health disparities

and improve the overall well-being of African American communities. This paper will explore

the intricate web of historical trauma, stigma, cultural influences, and systemic challenges that
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contribute to this resistance and offer insights into strategies to bridge the gap between mental

health services and the needs of African Americans. By doing so, it aims to shed light on a

pressing issue and foster more inclusive and culturally competent mental health care to ensure

that all individuals, regardless of their racial or ethnic background, have access to the support

they need to thrive.

Theoretical Perspective

The stigma surrounding mental health is rapidly changing for all cultures and

communities seeing it less as a weakness and often rely on strengths to navigate various mental

health challenges. Throughout history, African Americans have faced many challenges yet rise

above them due to the strength and resiliency of their culture and community. In the learning and

studying of mental health care within the African American community, the strengths and

resiliency perspective provides an approach that acknowledges the community’s resilience rather

than focusing on the deficits and challenges. This perspective allows many positive important

aspects to be emphasized over the negative aspects including the historical resilience, cultural

with a strengths and resiliency perspective, researchers can not only better understand the factors

that contribute to mental health well-being but also develop more effective interventions and

policies that build on the community's inherent strengths and resilience. This approach can help

empower individuals and communities to address mental health challenges while honoring their

unique cultural and historical assets.

Literary Review

Despite African Americans being at higher risk of mental illness or facing mental health

challenges, they seek care and treatment at a lower rate, nearly half of the rate that White or

Asian Americans (Harris et al., 2020). There are many factors that increase this risk for African
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Americans including generational trauma, systemic racism, and socioeconomic status. Due to the

systemic racism towards the African American community, many communities find themselves

in poverty-stricken areas due to red line districts along with other societal suppressions

throughout history. Individuals who are living in poverty are twice as likely to experience intense

and extreme psychological challenges and distress (Mental Health America, 2020). Other statics

show that black individuals are more likely to feel a sense of worthlessness and other symptoms

associated with depression and anxiety, increased chance of attempting suicide, and have similar

rates of using alcohol and illegal substances as other races (2020). Even with being at higher risk

of mental illness and higher reporting’s of persistent symptoms associated with mental health

challenges, only 20 percent of African Americans seek care in comparison to 40 percent of white

Americans (Mass General Brigham McLean, 2022). There are several obstacles that stand

between African Americans and the necessary mental health care. These obstacles range from

stigma reaching back to slavery, lack of trust in the government, systemic racism through

reduced access to housing and health care and increased incarcerations (2022). Despite the

spectrum of obstacles, African Americans have managed to overcome mental health challenges

with the strength of their community and their values with their focus on family and spirituality.

Each of these factors play a role in dictating steps that need to be taken to support positive

changes in helping African American communities receive the necessary care to increase their

overall well-being (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2017).

Since the beginning of slavery in the United States, African Americans have been

struggling with the effects of mental, physical and emotional trauma. Slaves had to rely on each

other to endure the dehumanizing practices and found solace with their community and religion

(Grayson, 2020). Even though African Americans found a way to cope with the inhumane
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treatment, slavery made its impact on these individuals and every generation to follow. After

slavery ended, African Americans continued to face discrimination and trauma of the Jim Crow

law, white supremist culture, and continued mistreatment from white Americans. This

multigenerational trauma drastically increases the risk and mental health needs of African

Americans, yet also created a distrust in other communities outside of their own (2020). Because

of the racial history of American and impact of systemic racism on current systems and policies

in current society, African Americans often “[receive] poorer quality of care and lack of access to

culturally competent care” creating many barriers to seeking help (2020). One example of this

barrier is that many African Americans are commonly misdiagnoses and often diagnoses with

disorders that are stereotypically “dangerous” (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2017).

Without realizing the strength and resiliency factors, African Americans have been

coping this trauma since the 1600’s through the support and value of their community. This

community develop their own coping strategies through their culture. The discrimination forced

African Americans to rely on their community and to trust only their people. Spirituality and

religion play an important part of their culture. Rather than seeking medical help and due to their

close connection to the church, many African Americans address mental health challenges and

crisis through church attendance and praying “it” away (Jackson, 2020). In the study conducted

by Harris and colleagues, one of the results and feedback from participants was that in seeking

medical or professional care or even admitting struggling with mental illnesses would be a lack

of faith (Harris et al., 2020).

One of the biggest factors that play a role in the gap of care seen within the African

American community is their culture. Outside of the previously mentioned focus on religion, is

the overarching cultural view of mental health and the stigma surround it. There is a general
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sense of self-reliance within this community and the need to appear strong. Many associate

mental illnesses with being “weak” or “less than a person” (Harris et al., 2020). Due to the

overall resiliency within this community, there is the idea that African Americans don’t deal with

mental illnesses (Jamar, 2013). Other messages that encourage the stigma of mental illnesses is

that a mental illness is all consuming; Once a person is diagnoses with a mental illness, there is

no recovery and they are finished (2013). In one study, African Americans expressed that they

could not admit to struggling with a mental illness as they needed to appear strong to stand

against the prejudice and racism they face daily (Holden et al., 2012).

Within the health care industry, there has been a sense of whitewashing in the care

provided to people. African Americans often sense that there is a lack of cultural sensitivity from

providers leaving them marginalized. Because of this lack of sensitivity of knowledge, African

Americans will continue to rely on their community and family even in critical situations (Mass

General Brigham McLean, 2022). Additionally, within the industry, there is a lack of

representation and providers that share cultural similarities. In the mental health care system,

only 2 percent of the therapist are African American (Mass General Brigham McLean, 2022).

There is often misdiagnosis or maltreatment within the healthcare system due to the lack of

cultural awareness and knowledge (Holden et al., 2012). Many African Americans are given

diagnoses of schizophrenia or bipolar due to stigma surrounding the African Americans in

situations where Caucasian Americans with the same symptoms receive diagnoses such as

depression (Grayson, 2020). Grayson goes on to state that African Americans are more likely to

face incarceration rather than being given the opportunity to treat underlying illnesses leading to

varying circumstances (2020). This mistreatment is more likely to occur in situations that are
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violent (White, 2019). All these factors and influence only reinforce the cultural stigma

surrounding mental health and the level of care an African American need.

Discussion

Despite the increased knowledge surround mental health care and mental illnesses across

several communities and cultures, African Americans are some of the most underserved

populations. There is a historically driven stigma surrounding mental health in this population

that is ingrained across the American society due to systemic discrimination. There is no specific

cause that hinder African Americans to receive the help they need. The obstacles they face are

complex and impact their overall well-being and quality of life. In America there is a deeply

rooted sense of discrimination, racism, and trauma that made a lasting impact on several

generations of African Americans increasing the risk of mental illnesses and challenges, but also

create a need to appear strong as a community. Struggling with mental health challenges could be

seen as weakness creating the opportunity to be repressed again. This historical impact drives all

other factors that create the resistance for mental health care for African Americans. Many of the

cultural factors discussed can be traced to the discrimination African Americans faced for

centuries. It has caused a lack of cultural awareness and knowledge within the health care

industry, not just mental health. It created a mistrust of the system as many African Americans

were exploited and abused all while being treated with interventions primarily based on White

Americans. Further impacts of these barriers lead to underdiagnosis, under- and delay of

treatment, and self-reliance and use of risky coping strategies. While there are several negative

impacts on the African American culture, there are several positives. The struggles they faced

brought them closer as a community and encouraged the support of family and friends to address
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challenges. This allowed African Americans create a close, strong, sense of culture that could be

celebrated despite the trauma they have faced.

Conclusion

In summary, the resistance to mental health care within African American communities is

a multifaceted issue deeply rooted in historical, cultural, and systemic factors. Research has shed

light on the various dimensions of this resistance, highlighting the historical trauma endured by

the community, the pervasive stigma associated with mental health, the influence of cultural

factors, and the disparities in access to care. Social workers are instrumental in advocating for

equitable access to care, providing support that respects cultural values, and addressing the

unique mental health needs of African Americans. Their work is crucial in ensuring that mental

health care is accessible and effective for all individuals, regardless of their racial or ethnic

background. Social workers have the chance to change the future for all people, but especially

African Americans by working to build a bridge between their community and care that is

culturally informed and competent to ensure that they are able to experience higher well-being of

living.
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References

Harris, Janee, et al. “African Americans’ Perceptions of Mental Illness and Preferences for

Treatment.” Journal of Counselor Practice, vol. 11, no. 1, 15 Apr. 2020, pp. 1–33,

https://doi.org/10.22229/afa1112020.

Holden, K. B., McGregor, B. S., Blanks, S. H., & Mahaffey, C. (2012). Psychosocial, socio-

cultural, and environmental influences on mental health help-seeking among African-

American men. Journal of Men’s Health, 9(2), 63–69.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jomh.2012.03.002

Jackson, S. (2020). African-American Mental Health Community: Information Needs, Barriers,

and Gaps. School of Information Student Research Journal, 10(1).

https://doi.org/10.31979/2575-2499.100103

Jamar, R. (2013). Smith ScholarWorks Smith ScholarWorks Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

2013. https://scholarworks.smith.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1645&context=theses

Mass General Brigham McLean. “Understanding Mental Health in Black Communities | McLean

Hospital.” Www.mcleanhospital.org, 8 Nov. 2022,

www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/black-mental-health.

Mental Health America. “Black and African American Communities and Mental Health.”

Mental Health America, 2020, www.mhanational.org/issues/black-and-african-american-

communities-and-mental-health.

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2017). African Americans | NAMI: National Alliance on

Mental Illness. Nami.org. https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-

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