#FACTS

Mental Illness is a topic that has plagued inner cities across the country for decades. Black & Latino men consider mental illness and family dysfunction/trauma as taboo and do not often discuss. The fact is that depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, but an under-recognized and undertreated issue among Black & Latino men. Common beliefs about mental health within the Black & Latino community include the following:

 

“Being depressed is just normal, and talking about it is makes you weak or soft!

“Talking about my personal $#% with some stranger isn’t going to help me deal with my problems. I’m good bro! Getting help is the same as Snitching On Myself by telling your business to a stranger.”

“Nobody cares me. Nobody cares about us. They damn sure don’t care about my mental health anyway!”

These statements are not true. Mental illness IS REAL and affects us all, whether we choose to talk about it or not. Dr. Ufondu and BroKin™ are here to help you by providing some facts you always wanted to know about.

1. About 1 in 5 Black men struggle with a mental illness in any given year, regardless of their social-economic position.

2. Black & Latino men are 20% more likely to have a serious psychological distress than their White counterparts.

3. Depression is one of the most common mental health problems in the U.S., affecting more than 18 million people each year.

4. About 7 percent of Americans experience serious depression each year.

5. Black & Latinos’ depressive occurrences are more disabling, persistent, and resistant to treatment than those experienced by Whites.

6. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among Black & Latinos ages 15 to 24.

7. Black & Latino men are 4X more likely to die by suicide than Black & Latino women are.

8. Less than half of all Americans with a mental disorder get the treatment that they need, however, there is a severe disproportion of Black & Latinos who need mental health treatment by an alarming rate of 50%.

It’s clear that depression and other mental illnesses are just as important for Black & Latinos, particularly Black & Latino men, as they are for Americans in general. Ignoring those problems or pretending that they don’t exist WILL NOT make them go away.

Know The Signs: Recognize The Problems

Everybody feels down or sad occasionally, but these feelings usually pass within a few days. When feelings of sadness, worry, and hopelessness last for weeks at a time and affect your ability to manage your daily life, you may be experiencing serious depression.

Both men and women get depressed, but men experience depression differently. Men who are depressed may be more likely to be very tired, feel irritable, and have difficulty sleeping. They may be more likely to lose interest in work, family, and hobbies.

For Black & Latino men and their families, neglecting mental health needs can be devastating. When mental disorders like depression aren’t treated, Black & Latino men are more vulnerable to drug or alcohol use, homelessness, incarceration, homicide, and suicide.

The most important thing you can do if you have a problem is recognize it. Depression is not a weakness. It is an illness that can cause disability and even death. But depression is a treatable illness. Your doctor may be able to help.

What Are Some Of The Barriers

Social circumstances can contribute to a likelihood of developing a mental illness. Black & Latinos are more likely to experience economic distress, racism, and other social circumstances that increase their chances of developing depression or other mental illnesses.

Access to adequate treatment for mental health problems can be difficult for Black & Latinos, for the following reasons:

Black & Latinos are less likely to have health insurance.

Black & Latinos are less likely to receive an accurate mental health diagnosis and, for those who are diagnosed with depression, less likely to receive treatment than their White counterparts are.

Cultural mistrust of mental health professionals and health care professionals in general is common in the Black & Latino community.
Only a small proportion of mental health professionals are Black & Latino.

What Can BroKin™ Do To Help?

Historically, Black & Latino men have relied on religious and social communities for emotional support. That’s one of the reasons why I founded BroKin™. Making faith and social communities more aware of the mental illnesses that members face, will assist these groups in supporting their members, encourage Black & Latino men to acknowledge their own needs, and provide resources for members who need help that the community can’t provide alone.

Black & Latinos are less likely to receive an accurate mental health diagnosis and, for those who are diagnosed with depression, less likely to receive treatment than their White counterparts are.

Cultural mistrust of mental health professionals and health care professionals in general is common in the Black & Latino community.
Only a small proportion of mental health professionals are Black & Latino.