Out of the millions of people in America who suffer from some form of a mental illness such as Bipolar, African-Americans are the least likely to seek treatment. This results in over hundreds of thousands of African-Americans committing suicide or having a debilitating lifestyle including unemployment, poverty, and the use of alcohol and drugs to mask an inner problem; clinical depression. According to David Satcher, M.D., the former U.S. Surgeon General, and studies conducted by the National Mental Health Association, one of the main reasons that African-Americans do not seek mental health treatment is the lack of trust in the healthcare system in America.
In the African-American culture, healthcare professionals are widely regarded as people not to be completely trusted. Researchers at NMHA suggest that experiments such as the Tuskeegee Syphilis Experiment had harsh and ever-lasting affects on the black community. In that deceptive study between 1932 and 1942, approximately 400 illiterate and poor African-American males with syphilis were allowed to go without treatment in order for medical professionals to study the adverse affects of the disease. After information leaked about this inhumane Tuskeegee Syphilis Experiment, the U. S. government played a major role in trying to cover it up. It is believed that the Tuskeegee Syphilis Experiment became a major cultural and generational reason to be distrustful of all healthcare professionals and particularly medications. This can also be responsible for the lack of willingness by African-Americans to educate themselves about diseases and disorders. African-Americans too easily “believe” their problems are due to just having “bad blood” as if it is acceptable or normal to feel bad all the time. In addition, African-Americans routinely will self-medicate with drugs and alcohol rather than seek mental health professionals for persistent mental health problems.
Also, in considering that bipolarity is a mental health issue that is greatly stigmatized, the willingness to go outside the family for treatment decreases significantly. This leads to fewer African-Americans showing up at healthcare facilities with chief complaints about the symptoms of manic depression that are classic for a bipolar diagnosis: excessive energy, restlessness, racing thoughts, aggressive behaviors, extreme irritability, lack of sleep, paranoia, and sustained, unusual behaviors on the mania side of bipolar. On the depressive side, persistent symptoms include pro-longed sadness, feelings of hopelessness, guilt, or worthlessness, lack of interest in normal activities, difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions, excessive sleeping, mood swings, and changes in appetite. Culturally, family members are tolerated for these behaviors, if not ignored. Everybody denies that there is anything wrong because these behaviors and symptoms have been allowed to manifest within the family circle timelessly. Because no one ever sought professional help about it before, nobody ever does.
Then, on the flip side are healthcare professionals who routinely screen for the stereotypical health issues such as high blood pressure, sugar diabetes, substance abuses, and/or heart diseases. They often overlook the underlying symptoms of bipolarity. Thus, the African-American will often never receive the diagnosis and, therefore, treatment. Because of the genetics factor that 10 to 20 percent of all persons with bipolar have a close relative with the same mental illness, these symptoms need to be recognized promptly and taken seriously. African-Americans need to become keenly aware of these symptoms and seek appropriate mental healthcare. Bipolarity is treatable and with treatment comes manageability of the illness and a quality of life.
Improving education in the African-American culture about mental healthcare will lead to the decline in distrust. Education defeats illiteracy that causes poor mental healthcare. Likewise, increasing the presence of patients in healthcare facilities seeking help for the clinical depression symptoms increases the exposure for medical professionals to make appropriate referrals or treatment. According to the National Medical Association of African-American doctors, medication, counseling, peer support, exercise, stress reduction classes, and sometimes ECT (a form of shock therapy) are acceptable and proven forms of treatment. As African-Americans, we must understand that bipolar affects our community the worst because we do not seek treatment.
Some ways we can overcome the barrier of distrust is to take someone we do trust with us on a medical appointment, be honest with the doctor about how you really feel emotionally and how long you have felt that way, don’t be afraid to volunteer that information to your healthcare provider, ask your doctor for brochures or pamphlets to read related to depression, take initiative to question any aspects of treatment that make you uncomfortable, set mental health goals, and stick with any and all medications as prescribed unless you do not feel any better and/or the side effects cannot be tolerated by you.
Are you still reluctant to seek mental health care for yourself or a loved one? If so, why?
Posted By: agnes levine
Sunday, September 28th 2008 at 7:18AM
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