Black people are also less likely to receive guideline-consistent care and would rather use emergency rooms or primary care than mental health specialists, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Mental Health Facts for African Americans guide. There has been a stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community for years. A study shows that 63 percent of Black people believe that a mental health condition is a sign of personal weakness.
Conscious and unconscious biases also play a major role. Black men are more likely to receive a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia when expressing symptoms related to mood disorders or PTSD.
Regardless of the stigma, it is important that Black people recognize that seeking help is not a sign of weakness, put themselves first and receive the proper treatment much like Biles did. Seeking help can help you get your emotions in order if you are suffering from mental health challenges.
“Therapy has helped a lot as well as medicine. That’s all been going really well. Whenever you get in high-stress situations, you kind of freak out and don’t know really know how to handle all of those emotions especially at the Olympic Games,” Biles shares of her own experience with therapy.
If you are worried about finding the right mental health specialist, here are some questions you should be asking:
- Have you treated other Black people or received training in cultural competence for Black mental health? If not, how do you plan to provide me with culturally sensitive, patient-centered care?
- How do you see our cultural backgrounds influencing our communication and my treatment?
- Do you use a different approach in your treatment when working with patients from different cultural backgrounds?
- What is your current understanding of differences in health outcomes for Black patients?
- Did my provider communicate effectively with me?
- Is my provider willing to integrate my beliefs, practices, identity and cultural background into my treatment plan?
- Did I feel like I was treated with respect and dignity?
- Do I feel like my provider understands and relates well with me?
Tuesday morning Biles’ sister came to her defense and expressed the importance of mental health on Twitter. “Y’all are all about mental health until it no longer benefits you. I can’t imagine being that inconsiderate WHEWWWW,” Adria Biles, the athlete’s younger sister, writes.
Helping a Loved one With Mental Health Illness
Being there for a family member dealing with mental health illness can help them on their journey. If you have someone close to you that is suffering from mental health illness, you can support them by doing the following:
- Seeking help: As mentioned before, it’s important that someone suffering from mental health challenges get the help they need. Help them find the best method of treatment. If they decide to seek the help of a medical professional, you can be key in painting a clearer picture of what they are dealing with.
- Helping with medications, appointments and treatments: You can be around as a reminder or motivator for them to keep up with their medication, therapy or any other methods of treatment they may be taking.
- Supporting a healthy lifestyle: Helping with day-to-day activities such as finances, problem-solving, housing, nutrition, recreation and exercise, and proper sleeping habits can help improve your loved ones’ overall mental health.
- Providing emotional support: If nothing else, you can simply be there for your loved ones to listen to them, encourage them and let them know that their mental illness is not their fault.