Are Mental Health Issues Like Depression Related to Race?
Introduction
Considering historical misfortune that factors in health discrimination that is based on race, slavery, economic and social issues, education, adds up to disparities as far as social-economic issues experienced in the homes of African-Americans in the current days are concerned. In turn, mental health has been correlated to socio-economic status. For instance, those individuals who seem to be homeless, have problems arising from substance abuse, incarcerated, impoverished have high chances of getting mental health problems. Mental illness among Black-Americans has been increasing over the years and has been accelerated by racism and discrimination. Contemporary and historical exemplification of unfair treatment has resulted into mistrust in government authorities where many of them do not have any interest to African-American problems.
Research shows that African-Americans have perceptions concerning Psychological exposure, stigma, as far as seeking help that finally affect behaviors that can be changed (Ward et al, 2013). In general those who participated in this study did not openly disclose and confirm their psychological illnesses, but wanted to seek treatment. Those who were reported as having mental problems and who were getting treatments accounted for thirty percent of the total participants. It was seen that men who were African-Americans had a lot of concern in stigma. It was also depicted that these individuals could only change their perception about mental problems’ symptoms if they are exposed to mental problems, associate effects and have knowledge about factors causing mental illnesses. Additionally, victims who participated seemed to be so concerned about getting professional solution of their mental problems which is coherent with earlier researches though they were prepared to accommodate any aid.
Research further showed that in the recent days, African-Americans were more in the American prisons and jails than other race. It is said that about sixty percent of the population in American prisons accounted for Black-Americans; where thirty seven percent were arrested due to drug possession, fourteen percent of those possessed drug were consumers of those drugs. Illegal drug usage is termed as self-medication in those individuals suffering from mental disorders. In the American Psychological Association, about two percent of the members are Black-American where quite a number of them doubt the practitioners of mental care to have not trained enough to handle their problems. This is evidenced by fact that some of the patients who are Black-Americans reportedly experienced racism and micro-aggression from therapists (Mental Health America, n.d.). It was also confirmed that judgment and stigma prevented victims (Black-Americans) from getting relevant medical care. In addition, it was indicated by this research that the victims believed that anxiety and depression was a sign of craziness in their society where many further believed that talks about this mental disorder was not relevant in their families.
Another research showed that black-Americans who were adults, twenty percent of them were able to report cases of psychological disorder that their white counter-parts. Those Black-American adults who were very poor, their probability of reporting such cases …