Addressing stigma in Black mental health

Black people’s aversion to seeking the help of mental health professionals has been discussed endlessly – and maybe it needs to be discussed even more, because far too many of the roughly 37 million people in the United States who identify as Black suffer from mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.

Former Houston Rockets great Vernon Maxwell knew during his NBA playing days something wasn’t right with his mental health, and privately he was having those issues addressed.

But neither he nor the larger society was open to sharing or receiving personal testimonies regarding mental health challenges.

“They already thought that so they were going to really think I was crazy,” said Maxwell, who played for the Rockets from 1990-95 and was a key member of their two NBA championship teams. “I thought if I go to them and I tell them, ‘Man, I’m talking to somebody about my problems on my mental side,’ I was just too nervous to tell my teammates or tell anybody that. I was too scared to go do it. And like I said, I lost a lot.”

Maxwell is now trying to break that cycle. Last fall, his nonprofit, the Vernon Maxwell Initiative, held its inaugural Mental Health Symposium as part of his goal to take on athletes and mental health awareness as a cause.

Also last fall, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo made the very public and very courageous move of announcing that she was taking a temporary leave of absence from her high-profile position to receive treatment for clinical depression.

And though many saw Hidalgo’s admission as an opportunity to attack her politically, many more celebrated her openness and willingness to model the behavior many in the health care world encourage – to seek help when needed.

In fact, there are some who believe that true social justice, an issue many Blacks both acknowledge and work toward, will remain incomplete until mental health disparities in the Black community are addressed.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Here’s how mental and behavioral health affect Blacks:

·      Suicide was the third-leading cause of death for Black Americans ages 15 to 24 in 2020.

·      The death rate from suicide for Black American men was four times greater than for Black American women in 2018.

·      Black females in grades 9-12 were 60% more likely to attempt suicide in 2019, as compared to non-Hispanic white females of the same age.

Mental health is an essential part of overall physical health and satisfaction. Thus, the increased incidence of psychological difficulties in the Black community means that all areas of Black life suffer when the quality of our mental health is less than it should be.

These increased incidences of psychological difficulties are said to be related to the lack of access to appropriate and culturally responsive mental health care, prejudice and racism inherent in the daily environment of Black individuals, and historical trauma enacted on the Black community by the medical field.

This is an area that must be addressed, but before that can happen the specific mental health challenges faced by Black Americans need to be known.

Anxiety disorders

The most common category of mental health disorders in America – anxiety disorders – impacts approximately 40 million adults ages 18 and older. Anxiety disorders cause people to experience distressing and frequent fear and apprehension.

While many may experience these feelings during a job interview or public speaking event – as that can be a normal response to stress – those with anxiety disorders feel them commonly and in typically non-stressful events. And bouts of anxiety can last up to six months or more at a time. “Anxiety” is actually a blanket term that includes a host of specific disorders, including the following:

·      Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) One of the most common mental disorders, GAD is characterized by excessive worry about issues and situations that individuals experience every day. Any worrying that is out of proportion to the reality of the situation may fall under this disorder.

·      Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) A condition featuring recurring, uncontrollable thoughts or behaviors that an individual may feel an urge to repeat over and over.

·      Panic Disorder Someone who experiences frequent, sudden panic attacks may be diagnosed with panic disorder. Having a panic attack does not mean an individual has panic disorder; instead, a pattern of panic attacks more often leads to this diagnosis.

·      Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) A mental health condition that is the result of a triggering traumatic event. Those who experience violent combat or witness a terrifying event may develop PTSD.

·      Social Anxiety Disorder Fear and anxiety over being around others or feeling watched or judged may be diagnosed as social anxiety disorder. This condition makes it difficult for those impacted to build and maintain healthy relationships.

Mood disorders

An estimated one in 10 adults suffers from some type of mood disorder. While it’s normal to experience mood swings from time to time, people with mood disorders live with more persistent and severe symptoms that can disrupt their daily lives.

 Depending on the specific disorder, people may experience an ongoing sad, anxious or “empty” mood, feelings of hopelessness, low self-esteem, excessive guilt, decreased energy and more. Therapy, antidepressants and self-care can help treat mood disorders. The most common mood disorders are:

·      Major Depressive Disorder This condition, sometimes referred to as clinical depression, is characterized by two or more weeks of consistent low mood and loss of interest in daily life. Some people live with major depressive disorder their entire adult lives.

·      Bipolar Disorder This mental illness is characterized by unusual, extreme shifts in an individual’s mood, activity levels, energy and concentration. This condition was formally called manic depression.

·      Substance-Induced Mood Disorder Any mood disorder that occurs because of abusing substances of medications is considered a substance-induced mood disorder. This may include depression, anxiety or psychosis.

Psychotic disorders

Those suffering from psychotic disorders may be unable to understand what’s real and what’s not. This group of mental disorders changes an individual’s sense of reality.

 Scientists believe that certain viruses, problems with how specific brain circuits work, extreme stress or trauma and some forms of drug abuse may play a role in the development of psychotic disorders. The most common psychotic disorders include the following:

·      Schizophrenia This serious mental disorder causes people to experience an abnormal reality. They may have delusions, hallucinations, or disordered thinking or behavior.

·      Schizoaffective Disorder A sort of combination between a psychotic disorder and a mood disorder, schizoaffective disorder causes people to experience both psychosis symptoms, including hallucinations, and mood symptoms, such as depression or anxiety.

·      Delusional Disorder This disorder is characterized by a “fixed false belief based on an inaccurate interpretation of an external reality despite evidence to the contrary,” according to the National Institutes of Health. Those with delusional disorder do not know that they are not experiencing reality.

Dementia

Although mistakenly thought to be a single disorder, dementia is a term that covers a wide range of specific mental conditions. Those suffering from dementia-related disorders may experience a decline in their cognitive abilities – often severe enough to impair daily life and independent function.

While this category includes a host of conditions, Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60% to 80% of dementia cases. It slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, strips the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Other forms of dementia take the form of Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Eating disorders

Eating disorders are about more than an individual’s relationship with food. They’re complex mental disorders that often require intervention from medical and psychological experts. These conditions cause unhealthy eating habits to develop, such as an obsession with food, body weight or body shape. In severe cases, eating disorders can have serious health consequences and may even result in death if left untreated.

Common symptoms include the severe restriction of food, food binges or purging behaviors, such as vomiting or over-exercising. The most common types of eating disorders include:

·      Anorexia Nervosa This is an eating disorder that causes those suffering with it to obsess about their weight and the food they consume, often leading to low body weight.

·      Bulimia Nervosa This eating disorder is characterized by vomiting after eating meals in an attempt to control one’s weight.

·      Binge Eating Disorder Those with binge eating disorder frequently overeat to the point of discomfort, often as a way to deal with intense or uncomfortable feelings.

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