Systemic Oppression and Mental Health – Part 3
Given the history of slavery, Jim Crow laws, lynching, police profiling, and government policies specifically excluding African Americans from access to basic human needs such as housing, it should be no surprise that African Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population.
While African Americans suffer many of the same mental illnesses as the rest of the population such as depression and anxiety disorders, they often experience them at more severe levels. In addition, African Americans are diagnosed with schizophrenia twice as often as non-Hispanic whites, and Black/African Americans of all ages are more likely to be victims of serious violent crime than are non-Hispanic whites, making them more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A full 40% of people who are homeless are African American. 1
A likely cause for the high rates of mental disorders: The stress caused by discrimination because of race. 71% of African Americans report that they have experienced racial discrimination, and 23% say they experience some form of racial discrimination at least twice a week. 2
And studies show that even the anticipation of discrimination can raise stress levels. Living in a heightened state of alertness constantly damages not only the brain but also the body.
1 Source
2 Source
Tongue on Fire 