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Following the pandemic, there has been an influx of diagnoses for depression, anxiety and several other mental health disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. Due to the increase in mental health concerns, the number of teenagers and adults seeking mental health resources and treatments is also on the rise. More and more Americans are going to therapy and taking medications for their mental health.

There has also been an increase in conversations and reports centered around the mental health crisis, with organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the center as they work to raise mental health awareness and attempt to find solutions for the crisis.

But, this cannot be said about every American or every organization and these conversations are not happening everywhere, especially not within marginalized communities, in particular the Black male community.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported that suicide is one of the leading causes of death for Black men aged 15-24, with the suicide rate for Black men exceeding the death rate for Black women and other racial minority groups in 2018. Black adults, in general, are more likely to suffer from mental health-related issues or experience persistent mental health symptoms compared to their white peers.

Black men are less likely to be featured in mental health research and are less likely to receive quality mental health care, turning toward primary care or emergency rooms instead of seeking qualified mental health professionals.

Overall, Black Americans are more likely to experience inequalities related to healthcare, including mental health. Besides the racial disparities present within the American healthcare system, there are a collection of reasons both professionals and Black men themselves attribute to these alarming statistics.

Much of this starts with Black Americans having one of the highest levels of distrust toward health care professionals of any other racial or ethnic group. This lack of trust toward health professionals and various healthcare services can be traced back to a history of Black men being used for dangerous medical experiments such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study of 1932.

Even today, the Black community still has reasons to enter healthcare spaces with distrust as Black women have the highest rate of maternal mortality and Black Americans are “systematically under-treated for pain.”

There’s also a stigma centered around Black men seeking mental health services within the Black community. According to a study done by the National Alliance on Mental Health, over 60% of Black Americans viewed mental illness as a weakness.

Dr. Ruth White, a former social worker and CarbonFive’s diversity, equity and inclusion director, believes that because Black Americans have endured so much adversity, many view mental health conditions as a means for further oppression, as many people with mental health conditions, regardless of race, are often alienated in society.

Financial burdens caused by the high costs of mental health treatments and a lack of insurance furthers stigma and potential judgment. Many in the Black community view spending money on mental health services to be not as important as other things, especially as they tend to result in negative attitudes from family and friends.

In addition, societal stereotypes placed on Black men lead many Black men to feel as if therapy or mental health resources are not for them. The lack of mental health professionals that look like them further exacerbates this. In society, Black men are often painted as overly-masculine figures who are not allowed to express their emotions as freely as women or their white counterparts.

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“There’s a certain strength about being vulnerable, yet Black men are always supposed to be the ‘man’ and many do not want to be seen as weak,” said Izzy Sy, a freshman in the Newhouse School of Public Communications.

“There’s stereotypes surrounding … Black men being strong or providers and many Black men feel that they need to comply or fit in with those stereotypes. It’s hard to be a Black man and it’s even harder to find spaces to feel comfortable in,” said Josh Crawford, a graduate student in Newhouse.

Within the mental health profession, 66% of professionals are white while over 75% of professionals are women. Just under 20% of the workforce is Black.

Touching on his own experiences with mental health services at SU, Crawford said that “coming from an HBCU, I came to SU with a certain amount of distrust. We need more Black men on campus, including mental health professionals. Black men need someone available that we feel comfortable going to.”

Better mental healthcare for Black men starts with looking at the connection between race and mental health and the various barriers in place that prevent Black men from getting the mental health resources they deserve. One’s mental wellbeing and mental health needs should be just as taken care of as one’s physical health.

Combating these barriers will take time. There is a long way to go in terms of distrust and a lack of representation within American healthcare along with the cultural stigmas and societal expectations placed upon Black men. Breaking down these barriers must be a collective effort in which mental health professionals, healthcare policymakers and society as a whole work with and listen to Black men about their mental health concerns and needs. We need more Black men present in mental health spaces, not just as therapists, but as a part of the mental health conversation from the very beginning.

Kaitlyn Paige is a junior studying Public Relations. Her column appears bi-weekly, and she can be reached at kipaige@syr.edu.

Published on February 14, 2024 at 11:20 pm