Though studies say Black Americans don’t suffer from higher rates of depression than their white counterparts Therese Borchard, an editor for PsychCentral, found that many African-Americans tend to repress feelings of depression and other mental health disorders.
Historical relics of slavery, poverty and broken homes continue to haunt African-Americans today — a sign that more attention is needed on the mental health of Black Americans.
In an article, Borchard wrote, “When I participated in a six-week outpatient program at [Maryland’s] Laurel Hospital, half the group was African-American. The stories horrified me. Most of the African-Americans could not reveal to any member in their family what they were doing (the outpatient program) because the stigma was so deep and tall and wide.”
BET Reports:
For many reasons, mental-health issues remain a taboo in Black communities, some of which revere qualities like strength and self-reliance. Depression as a medical issue, which can find people seeking out the help of doctors and therapists, often doesn’t align with the norms of a poor, urban existence, though it certainly exists as much as it exists anywhere else.
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