African Americans and Mental Health: Practical and Strategic Solutions to Barriers, Needs, and Challenges

Chapter 1: Introduction: Who are African Americans' (Beverly O'Bryant, Coppin State University, Baltimore, Maryland) (20 pages)

Chapter 1 provides an operational definition of African Americans as well as multiple definitions of African Americans used in similar contexts. Emphasis is then placed on the review of the history of African Americans from the 1800s to the present. The Chapter is divided into 6 subsections.

• Subsection One: The History of African Americans (1800-1900)
• Subsection Two: The History of African Americans (1901-1950)
• Subsection Three: The History of African Americans (1951-2000)
• Section Four: The History of African Americans (2001-2020)
• Section Five: An Expanded view and definition of 'Who are African Americans'

Chapter 2: Barriers and access to mental health care for African Americans (Henry L. Harris, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina; & LaTonya Summers, University of Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida) (20 pages)

Although individuals have greater access to mental health services than ever before, it is important to be aware of societal and cultural barriers that hinder minority groups from seeking care. For example, when considering the quality and availability of culturally-responsive care provided to African Americans, several inequalities exist (Psychiatry.org, 2017). One of the greatest challenges African Americans face to seeking help is stigma associated with mental illness. Gary (2005), defines stigma as negative beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts that may cause individuals or society to treat those with a mental illness in a prejudicial manner. Other barriers include institutional discrimination, religious beliefs and spiritual activities (Taylor, Chatters & Abelson, 2012), cultural distrust of health care and mental health systems, lack of healthcare insurance, and mental health illiteracy. This chapter provides a brief history of mental illness among African Americans, identification of social and cultural barriers, implications for improving access to care (i.e., providing culturally-specific professional development, promoting culturally-relevant mental health literacy, addressing issues related to advocacy and activism, etc.), and concludes with culturally-responsive practices.

Chapter 3: Challenges mostly unique to African Americans (Linwood Vereen, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania) (20 pages)

This Chapter focuses on the challenges mostly unique to African Americans that impact their life and existence. The unique challenges described within this chapter are race-based individual, community, and systemic biases aimed at African Americans. Specifically, in this chapter it is important to have the reader see how race-based bias, discrimination, and prejudice are the challenges that impact the education, social mobility, and socioeconomic status of the African American. The chapter continues to focus on how these unique challenges impact the daily functions of African Americans in ways such as unfair housing practices and living conditions. From here it is also important to point out how these race-based challenges of systemic discriminatory practices impact community and are being combatted through resilience and community advocacy, which are strengths of the African American community.

Chapter 4: African Americans and Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities (Brittany Dennis, Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas) (20 pages)