The Importance of Mental Health in Black Youth

In today's mayhem, most of us have acknowledged that Mental Health is very important, but what does mental health look like for our black friends and family? The rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide in black children and adolescents have risen over the years. In 2020, students were asked to do the unimaginable, causing the need for mental health resources for children to be in great demand. This is especially true for our black youth. “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many racial disparities, and other events during the summer of 2020, like the death of George Floyd, further highlighted systemic racism in the United States.” says Dr. Jason Walker, child psychologist at Children’s Minnesota. 

Slavery is arguably the most direct act of racism in global history and its consequences linger even in today’s society. Knowing this, how does racism and discrimination against the black race effect the mental health of black youth? In the U.S, black children are exposed to more racist hate crimes, poverty, illness, and discrimination than their white peers. These matters put them at a greater threat for depression and other mental health conditions. Yet Black youth are less likely to pursue medical care. According to the Washington Post, about 9 percent of them reported an episode of major depression in the past year, but less than half of those, about 40 percent, received treatment. By comparison, about 46 percent of White youth who reported an episode were treated for depressive symptoms. 

In a study asking parents of black youth why they hesitate to seek mental treatment for their children, the majority stated they didn’t want the stigma of others thinking their child is “crazy” and were fearful of having their child incarcerated rather than physically treated at a mental health institute. Some of the barriers to accessing mental health care by members of diverse ethnic/racial groups may include: distrust in the healthcare system, lack of insurance, lack of diversity among mental health care providers, lack of culturally competent providers, mental illness stigma, language barriers, and fear of racist and discriminating health care workers. As we begin to move past the difficulties of this past year, let us not forget the extraordinary circumstances that the youth, and more specifically black youth, have had to endure. Let us move forward with a new sense of responsibility to make sure that the youth around us are receiving the appropriate aid they deserve when and if they need it.