A Shift for Black Mental Health?
Mental health has long been a taboo topic, but it is even more pushed aside for African Americans within and outside of Black communities, making it hard to get treatment. 17.3% (5.2 million) African Americans aged 18 or older had a mental illness in 2019, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. However, 65.4% of African American young adults with a serious mental illness received no treatment, and 41.9% of African American adults age 26-49 received no treatment in 2019. 10% of African American young adults age 18-25 had serious suicidal thoughts in 2019, an increase of 3.7% from 2009 (United States, Congress, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). With the horrors of the pandemic (African Americans have higher COVID-19 mortality rates, and have been hit harder economically) and police brutality, African Americans have endured an extremely traumatic past year and a half.
Luckily, we may be seeing a shift in how mental health is viewed, especially the mental health of Black athletes and Black women.
Check out Black Mental Health Alliance for resources
Luckily, we may be seeing a shift in how mental health is viewed, especially the mental health of Black athletes and Black women.
Check out Black Mental Health Alliance for resources