Mental Health and African-Americans Quiz

Mental Health & African-American Health

May is Mental Health awareness month. Mental health in the Black community is an issue that is often ignored because:

• There is a stigma in the Black community
• The mental health establishment often mistreats blacks
• Both

Terrie Williams, a high-powered publicist who has serviced Janet Jackson, wrote of her depressive breakdown in the book ‘Black Pain.’ At what rate do black women suffer from depression as compared to white women?

• At the same rate
• Twice the rate
• Five times the rate

In addition to depression, African-American are more likely to suffer from certain psychological disorders particular to our community, such as:

• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Phobias

Getting treatment for mental health is important, as suicide is the worse result of attempting to live with an untreated illness. How high is the rate of suicide for young black men versus young white men?

• It’s higher for black men
• It’s the same
• It’s higher for white men

In addition, black Americans are often exposed to stressors that lead to higher incidences of untreated, more severe mental health problems, such as:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Job loss
• Social prejudice

With the many issues our community faces, reducing resistance to psychological treatment is of critical importance. Anti-depressant drugs may help in healing by:

• Numbing the pain of depression
• Restoring neurochemical balances in the brain
• Do they help?

What role can the black church play in mental health treatment?

• A purely positive role
• It’s a mixed blessing
• There is no role for the church in mental health treatment

Therapy through professional services are important for blacks seeking mental health treatment. Yet, aside from fears and stigmas, many blacks do not receive effective professional treatment because:

• They don’t have health insurance
• The medical establishment misdiagnoses African-Americans
• Both of these answers, and more

The good news is:

• There is no good news
• Black people recover at rates equal to whites with effective treatment

Mental health is an issue in our community that deserves attention and solutions. For psychological issues for ourselves and others, it is important to:

• Ignore the signals
• Create a proper treatment plan
• Wallow away in despair