Introduction

Mental health conditions have effects regardless of race, color, gender, or identity. Anyone can experience the challenges of mental illness regardless of their background. Although we are similar, your experiences and how you understand and deal with these conditions may be different. Anyone can develop a mental health problem, but African Americans sometimes experience more severe forms of mental health conditions because of limited resources and other barriers. African Americans are twenty percent more likely to have severe psychological distress than Whites are. Also, African Americans and other minority communities are more likely to have similar experiences, such as barriers from health, educational, social, and economic resources because of cultural and societal factors. These may contribute to worse mental health outcomes. More than half of the people in the United States are being recognized with a mental illness in their lifetime; however, now not everybody will acquire the assistance they need. Even though mental illness is common and might affect everyone, there is still a stigma attached. This stigma creates shame in seeking help, especially in the African American community. The understanding of mental illnesses has come a far way from where it used to be, but improvements have to make. Mental illnesses should not be viewed any differently from physical diseases. I believe the two are very similar. When the mind is ill, it is not just the brain, but it has effects on the whole body and health overall. Substance abuse, self-damage, and suicide are widespread and dangerous in people with mental illness. The stigma connected to mental illness stops people from getting the assistance they need and causes them to cover their pain. Clinically trained social workers are the nation’s largest group of mental health service providers. (Staff, 2016). This is important to social work because social workers push the conversation of mental health forward. Many social workers in the field are first responders to most mental health claims. Also, the stigma of mental illness in the African American community has to change, and social workers can be the driving force of a new outlook of mental health. This navigates towards a better view of mental health. It is important to understand how we got to this point. Though this text will discuss the following, what is mental illness, historical information of mental health in the African American community, barriers to mental health in the African American community, also the perspective African Americas have on mental health.