Hey Y’all, In wake of so many terrible things that have happened this year, especially to black people, I think we need to remind ourselves to take care of our mental health. As black people we deal with so much on the daily, whether it be to police brutality or even racial discrimination in the workplace, or even the neglect that black women receive in hospitals. These things effect our mental heath in ways many people will not understand.
According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than white adults to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress, such as sadness, hopelessness, and feeling like everything is an effort. Black adults living below the poverty line are more than twice as likely to report serious psychological distress than those living above it. These can effect you even more if you are black and queer.
Despite the needs, only one in three Black or African American adults who need mental health care receive it. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Mental Health Facts for African Americans guide, African Americans are:
- Less likely to receive guideline-consistent care
- Less frequently included in research
- More likely to use emergency rooms or primary care (rather than mental health specialists)
To everyone our there, Please take care of your mental health. Your life has value and purpose! YOUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS! Here are some links that I think you may find helpful if you need any help finding aid:
