The end of the school year is here!
Across Tallwood High School, there are numerous upcoming events such as senior projects for academy seniors, college commitments, AP exams, spring sports, SOLS, and the list goes on all whilst focusing on planning for the summer and upcoming school year. The act of balancing work, social, and school life make it challenging on students’ mental health.
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses affecting a major population in the United States. A large-scale national survey done by the National Institute of Mental Health showed that African Americans make up only 12% of the population of the United States, yet they make up 18.7% of those affected by mental illness compared to Caucasians. The mental health crisis is very evident, especially in the African American community. Many African Americans today struggle with mental health conditions, and the systems set in place make it hard for them to manage these conditions or even to seek help.
Tim Adams, a journalist for The Guardian, did a review on the book Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton. Adam details Hylton’s observation on factors of why the African American community suffers disproportionately with mental illnesses. Historically, African Americans are more subject to be affected by poverty and suffrage which are factors that are more likely to push a person to a “psychological breaking point” causing numerous mental illness struggles. Additionally, Hylton’s book points out that previous generations of African Americans feared “white supremacists” believing “white people” were after them to kill them. That fear has carried over into today, however, being physically punished by the police.
Seeking mental health services can be difficult for African Americans due to mental health stigmas which could conflict with their background, gender norms, and faith. False stigmas associated with mental health and illness in the African American community play a part in the high prevalence rate of depression. Ms. Kelly, a previous AP Psychology teacher and the current Black Student Union sponsor, states that “Black folks don’t talk about mental health a lot.” She goes on to explain how she sees these roadblocks affect her students’ academic performance from their productivity levels to functionality. As a community seeking mental health treatment is often discouraged due to a sense of fear and the possibility of being stereotyped, treated differently, and shunned for being “crazy” if symptoms of a mental health disorder are discussed, shared, or treatment sought within the family and as a community. Let’s take a look at Kellam High School for instance. At some point last school year four white students were punished for “allegedly” giving a black student a gift full of racial stereotypes. A few months later those four students and their families filed a defamation lawsuit against the school. Furthermore, at Kempsville High School in May of 2024 the boy’s baseball team forfeited their season due to white players spewing racism, hate speech, and harassment to a fellow African American teammate.
Barriers to seeking professional help stem from African Americans experiencing shame. Teachers at Tallwood have described mental health as a slippery slope. They have limits in place on how much they can say to a student. Stigmas associated with mental health has become a major force behind the “decline of help-seeking behaviors and inactive participation in mental health treatment”. Mr. Holland, current AP Psychology and U.S. Government and Politics teacher, states that there are great opportunities for African American students to connect at Tallwood High School from the Step Team to Black Student Union. He says “There are great opportunities for Black students to connect there, African American Culture Club, anytime we have opportunities for communities to connect that’s a positive.” However, he says “On the flip side, I know that’s been an issue, not just at Tallwood, but at public schools in the past, are opportunities presented equally to students and how is discipline presented equally for students?” which he follows with the statement “If black students face more formal discipline, and don’t have opportunities for mental health support that is a problem.”
Members of the African American community experience mental health disorders at the same rate as other racial groups; however, this population is less likely to seek mental health treatment and often believe symptoms would resolve on their own. Ms. Kelly also told us how after many years of teaching, she can tell when her students’ moods are altered. Oftentimes the students don’t want to talk about it or seek help, therefore, not much changes because the students are unsure on how to handle the situation.
There is a belief that mental health problems can resolve on their own, which seems to prevent use of mental health services as a coping strategy. However, there is a foundation that puts African Americans at a disadvantage because of family and cultural influences that cause them to question their “role”.
In conclusion, African Americans experience mental illness issues stemming from past ancestral struggles. Poverty and injustice in the African American community has led to damaging stigmas and barriers to awareness and treatment. The untrue stigmas, like being seen as “less than,” surrounding mental health and illness in the African American community play a part in the high prevalence rate of depression. These stigmas in return make it harder for African Americans to seek help. Here at Tallwood High School, we have a diverse community and resources for African American students to be involved in such as Step Team, BSU, and African American Culture Club. This type of knowledge and awareness allows for a more open community and access to professional help around our school.
