Racism Shapes Views On Depression Care for African-American Women
July 13th, 2010
In a NIMH-funded study recently published in the American Journal of Public Health, new information shows that African-American’s women’s views toward depression and depression care is strongly and consistently influenced by racism. The study held focus groups of African-American-identifying women with significant depressive symptoms and at least one experience of intimate partner violence. The women voiced two primary concerns: firstly, an aversion to the depression treatments they knew about, as most were perceived as part of a ‘White’ care system. Secondly, the women voiced a perceived pressure to be a ‘strong Black woman,’ and a subsequent stigma against getting help for depression. Reaching the full scope of people who suffer depression, and getting the needed therapy and treatment for all, will involve creating safe treatment environments for African-American women and others who feel marginalized from available treatment.
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Comments
This is all so ridiculous. Why would the black community see traditional treatment of depression as something that is for “whites only”? And to say that black women are too afraid to break that strong black female stereotype by getting treatment for depression just makes me angry at how dumb that is. You are more concerned about being strong than you are about getting treatment for a disease that could potentially harm you for the rest of your life? That is somehting that anyone regardless of race needs to get over. You need to look out for the best interests of your health and not what you think that other people are thinking about you.
Yes peOple haVe their prejuDices and They mAy not be the sAme to Evrybody but then ThaT doe noT mean That black Women havE somethinG like BlaCk women arE disadvantaged tag in Their MinDs…I meaN why To thinK and be Programmed tO believe tHat you May or wiLl facE discrImination?!
@Sally:It is because they only see White people going in for such treatments and the Black community often does not go in for such things either due to monetary issues or because of insurance issues or due to general prejudice as is mentioned in the article.But all this needs to change and I believe the change is happening :)
Everyone deserves this kind of care and compassion, yes? Why does it have to be focused on just one group? maybe there are others who feel the exact same kinds of hesitaion about seeking treatment. Maybe it is time to begin the message again that seeking treatment for mental illness is ok no matter who you are or where you come from, as well as upping the amount of services that are available for memebers of any community. The fewer the resources logically then the fewer the number of people who are going to benefit from them.
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