The Impact of Mental Illness in the Black Community and How We Can Change It
When Black people experience mental health conditions, it often comes along with a unique set of barriers to diagnosis and treatment.
Mental health has become an increasingly important topic over the last decade or so, with more people than ever openly discussing their experiences living with mental health conditions. But more often than not, these discussions tend to overlook the impact that mental illness can have on minorities, especially the Black community.
We spoke with Dr. Francesca K. Owoo, LCPC, LMHC, a licensed therapist specializing in treating BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) couples and families, about the impact of mental illness on Black communities — including how we can best bridge the gap to ensure proper mental health care for Black folks in America.
Mental health conditions affect people from every racial and ethnic background. However, in Black communities, mental illness is pervasive and can have a myriad of negative social and economic impacts, shares Owoo.
She explains that a long history of systemic racism and oppression has not only worsened mental illness in Black communities but also led to higher rates of suicide, especially in younger Black folks. And it’s not just a worsening of mental health that impacts these communities — it’s also a lack of access to proper treatment.
For example, one recent study found that in addition to increased anxiety and depression rates, many Black Americans faced increased barriers to treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic (such as lack of access to services and medical discrimination) that made it harder to get a proper diagnosis and adequate treatment.
“Since the murder of George Floyd and its subsequent impact on race relations in the U.S., African Americans have experienced higher rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” explains Owoo.
She’s supported by a 2021 study that found Black people are more likely to experience an increase in poor mental health following incidents of public racially-motivated violence, especially highly publicized incidents.
And the impact of these mental health changes cannot be overstated as many mental health conditions, especially when untreated, can have a significant impact on someone’s quality of life.
“Anxiety can manifest as difficulty concentrating, physical tension, excessive fear, a racing heart, avoidance of triggers related to trauma, anger, and irritability,” Owoo shares. “[And] depression entails decreased energy, feeling as if you are moving in slow motion, insomnia/hypersomnia, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, weight fluctuation, and potential suicidal ideation.”
In addition to anxiety and depression, PTSD is also prevalent in Black communities. This condition is likely linked, in part, to a long history of racism and systemic oppression.
According to recent research, multiple studies over the years have shown that PTSD prevalence and risk were highest for Black/African Americans, not just in the military but also in the general population. And in one study , racial discrimination was found to contribute to that increased risk, in Black Americans and Latino Americans.
How does depression affect the Black community?
Research from 2019 exploring the literature on depression in Americans found that studies place the prevalence of depression at roughly 17.9% in white people, versus only 10.4% in Black people — something that may be attributed to the underdiagnosis of this condition in minority populations.
However, despite rates of depression being seemingly lower in Black communities, Black folks tend to experience more chronic, severe, and debilitating depression than white people.