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Although it's the leading cause of mental-health-related deaths, depression is not an illness many African-Americans women are willing to recognize and treat. Boyd sends a wake-up call to this group with others' stories and life-saving experiences.
Explores the restrictive myth of the strong black woman through interviews, revealing the emotional and physical toll this "performance" can have.
Depression does not discriminate, and yet the ways in which people and communities view and react to depression differ. The unique experiences of African Americans are often taken into account when examining other topics of interest, but mental health in general is often overlooked. African Americans and Depression helps to uncover the realities of depression among African Americans, and the various ways in which sufferers and their families address, or don’t address, it. The authors provide guidance for understanding the illness, suggestions on how to heal and recover holistically, and pathways for getting help. With a primary focus on the psychological and medical needs of African Americans, the authors explore and offer an overview of clinical depression among African Americans, discuss the signs of and cultural myths surrounding clinical depression, outline the mental health help-seeking process for African Americans, and suggest potential barriers and strategies for healing. Further, they discuss community-based interventions and innovations in service programs. Lastly, the authors offer insight on mental health and health policy in the United States care systems. Including firsthand accounts from sufferers and families, this work will aid readers to better understand depression and how and where to find help.
Major Health Crisis Among Black Women Generated from Systemic Racism “Marita Golden’s The Strong Black Woman busts the myth that Black women are fierce and resilient by letting the reader in under the mask that proclaims ‘Black don’t crack.’” ―Karen Arrington, coach, mentor, philanthropist, and author of NAACP Image Award-winning Your Next Level Life Sarton Women’s Book Award #1 New Release in Reference Meet Black women who have learned through hard lessons the importance of self-care and how to break through the cultural and family resistance to seeking therapy and professional mental health care. The Strong Black Woman Syndrome. For generations, in response to systemic racism, Black women and African American culture created the persona of the Strong Black Woman, a woman who, motivated by service and sacrifice, handles, manages, and overcomes any problem, any obstacle. The syndrome calls on Black women to be the problem-solvers and chief caretakers for everyone in their lives―never buckling, never feeling vulnerable, and never bothering with their pain. Hidden mental health crisis of anxiety and depression. To be a Black woman in America is to know you cannot protect your children or guarantee their safety, your value is consistently questioned, and even being “twice as good” is often not good enough. Consequently, Black women disproportionately experience anxiety and depression. Studies now conclusively connect racism and mental health―and physical health. Take care of your emotional health. You deserve to be emotionally healthy for yourself and those you love. More and more young Black women are re-examining the Strong Black Woman syndrome and engaging in self-care practices that change their lives. Hear stories of Black women who: Asked for help Built lives that offer healing Learned to accept healing If you have read The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health, The Racial Healing Handbook, or Black Fatigue, The Strong Black Woman is your next read.
African American women have commonly been portrayed as "pillars" of their communities—resilient mothers, sisters, wives, and grandmothers who remain steadfast in the face of all adversities. While these portrayals imply that African American women have few psychological problems, the scientific literature and demographic data present a different picture. They reveal that African American women are at increased risk for psychological distress because of factors that disproportionately affect them, including lower incomes, greater poverty and unemployment, unmarried motherhood, racism, and poor physical health. Yet at the same time, rates of mental illness are low. This invaluable book is the first comprehensive examination of the contradictions between the strengths and vulnerabilities of this population. Using the contexts of race, gender, and social class, In and Out of Our Right Minds challenges the traditional notions of mental health and mental illness as they apply to African American women.
Though African Americans are less likely to be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), when they are, it is more chronic, severe, and they are less likely to undergo treatment in comparison to Whites (Williams et al., 2007). Also, while there is growing research emphasizing the importance of religion in the lives of Blacks there remains little to be known about how to integrate religion and mental health treatment. Due to the nuances involved in being Christian and African American the medical and mental health providers are lacking an understanding of how best to work with this subgroup. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of Christian African American women who are depressed and inquire about their relief seeking efforts across their medical (mental health), religious and informal sources. In order to best meet the mental health needs of African American women with depression it is imperative to first understand the cultural nuances that make up the person in order to incorporate all aspects of their identity into treatment. Nine women were interviewed and the data was analyzed from a transcendental phenomenological perspective (Moustakas, 1994). The results of the study indicate those who felt comfortable sharing their spiritual beliefs with their medical providers were also more open to medical treatment and more likely to report satisfying treatment overall. The findings highlight important knowledge in providing culturally relevant care to the mental health needs of this subgroup.
Creates a new framework for approaching Black women’s wellness, by merging theory and practice with both personal narratives and public policy. This book offers a unique, interdisciplinary, and thoughtful look at the challenges and potency of Black women’s struggle for inner peace and mental stability. It brings together contributors from psychology, sociology, law, and medicine, as well as the humanities, to discuss issues ranging from stress, sexual assault, healing, self-care, and contemplative practice to health-policy considerations and parenting. Merging theory and practice with personal narratives and public policy, the book develops a new framework for approaching Black women’s wellness in order to provide tangible solutions. The collection reflects feminist praxis and defines womanist peace in terms that reject both “superwoman” stereotypes and “victim” caricatures. Also included for health professionals are concrete recommendations for understanding and treating Black women. “ this book speaks not only to Black women but also educates a broader audience of policymakers and therapists about the complex and multilayered realities that we must navigate and the protests we must mount on our journey to find inner peace and optimal health.” — from the Foreword by Linda Goler Blount
Racial identity is a complex construct that generally refers to how one defines his or her race, and how strongly one feels he or she belongs to it. Having an identity that is stigmatized yet highly salient to a person can be problematic in that people of color may be at risk of psychological distress due to experiences of racism, unequal treatment, and anxiety about future experiences of discrimination. Nonetheless, positive feelings of ethnic affirmation and belonging, appreciation for one’s ethnic identity, and increased ethnic behaviors have been identified as factors contributing to resilience and coping in African Americans. Research alludes to a strong, positive racial identity having a protective effect on the risk for developing depression; however, the nature and prevalence of depression in Black college-educated women has largely been understudied in the U.S., particularly in regard to women who have completed college or are of middle and high SES. The present study sought to explore the nature of depression and prevalence of depressive symptoms as it relates to Black women in conjunction with racial identity and education level using a sample of 167 African American women. Specifically, it was hypothesized that 1) education would negatively correlate with depression, 2) positive racial identity would negatively correlate with depression, and 3) the combination of a strong, positive racial identity and African American social network would more accurately predict lower depression better than positive racial identity alone. While Hypotheses 1 and 3 were not supported, Hypothesis 2 found support in a strong negative correlation between depression and racial regard, one of the three dimensions of the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity. Results indicate that women who hold positive views toward themselves as Black people and perceive others as doing the same are at lower risk for developing depression. This connection indicates the importance of racial socialization and how fostering cultural pride can influence positive mental health outcomes in people of color.
Do you or someone you love suffer from "bad nerves"? •Denise is constantly on edge. She's convinced something bad is going to happen. •Ruth will drive an hour out of her way to avoid driving over a bridge. When she has to do it, her chest thumps, her heart starts racing, and she breaks out in a sweat. She's beginning to think she shouldn't leave her house. •Bernice hasn't slept in two months for fear that the witch is going to ride her again. What do these women have in common? They are struggling with crippling anxiety disorders. Thousands of Black women suffer from anxiety. What's worse is that many of us have been raised to believe we are Strong Black Women and that seeking help shows weakness. So we often turn to dangerous quick fixes that only exacerbate the problem -- like overeating and drug and alcohol abuse -- or we deny that we have problems at all. In Soothe Your Nerves, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett explains which factors can contribute to anxiety, panic, and fear in Black women and offers a range of healing methods that will help you or a loved one reclaim your life. Here finally is a blueprint for understanding and overcoming anxiety from a psychological, spiritual, and Black perspective.