The Curious Case of Black Male Mental Health
Originally posted on Medium, re-shared here with the permission of the author.
Black men are more likely to suffer from ill mental health — understanding why is the first step to changing that reality.
Both mental health and race are tricky subjects. Tricky in the sense that, I don’t believe that anybody can quite claim to be an expert on either topic.
As much research as they might have done, as many people as they may have interviewed, there’s just no guarantee that anybody can fully understand the true lived experience of every person who has experienced racism or faced mental health issues.
In fact, I’d go as far as saying it’s actually impossible to capture an objective truth— our individual experiences are simply too varied. That being said, looking at mental health in Black men, there are some objective truths that demand our attention.
For instance:
In the UK, 8% of Black or Black British adults have symptoms relating to post-traumatic stress disorder, compared with 4% of their White British counterparts (NHS Digital).
Black youth have experienced an increase in suicide attempts over the past decade.
When taking race into consideration, suicide becomes the third leading cause of death for Black males aged 15–24 in the US (CDC). The suicide death rate among Black youth has increased faster than any other racial or ethnic group. Three-quarters of registered suicide deaths in 2019 and 2020 were for men (Mind).
In the UK, Black people are four times more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act, 17 times more likely to be diagnosed with a serious mental health condition, and more likely to experience poor outcomes from treatment than any other racial and ethnic groups (The Lancet).
The facts show clearly that Black men are suffering disproportionately from mental health issues, but they offer little explanation as to why. In days gone by, genetics were suggested as the root cause. It was suggested that Black people were just that much more genetically predisposed to ill mental health. To date, no research has been found to convincingly support that claim. The truth of the matter is not only more complex, but also more disheartening.
Broken Systems Create Broken Health
Social determinants of mental health are recognised by the World Health Organisation as the ‘non-health-related’ circumstances that influence mental health outcomes. They include things like:
Income and social protection
Education
Unemployment and job insecurity
Housing, basic amenities and the environment
Early childhood development
Social inclusion and non-discrimination
Access to affordable health services of decent quality
Cultural factors
It’s become increasingly clear how deeply social circumstances (and racism in particular) impact health within communities, and the Black community is no exception.
Looking down the list, systemic racism and the trauma owed to racism have the power to impact each and every point. In both the US and the UK, while they are not the only demographic to suffer, Black men seem to suffer most severely from the impacts of systemic racism and trauma. This is potentiated by societal concepts of masculinity and by mental health stigmatisation.
Let’s consider some causes and effects:
Unresolved trauma is understood to be passed on to children through parental interactions — and while not a certainty, it is extremely common. These children often struggle with emotional regulation in childhood and beyond — unaddressed and untreated, this can be debilitating.
In addition, systemic racism (policies and practices that exist throughout a society that support unfair or harmful treatment of people based on race) means, for example, that access to well-paid work is less readily available. This may be a result of subpar education, unfavourable hiring practices or any number of other reasons. These factors affect mental health within communities directly. The list goes on — unfit housing, inadequate healthcare — both contribute to poor mental health outcomes within communities.
The Burden of Masculinity
Men, regardless of race, battle with another uphill struggle: masculinity and self-image. Young boys are taught by their caregivers to “toughen up” when experiencing emotional or even physical pain. Emotional suppression is framed as the norm. It lays the foundations for shame, fear and frustration when confronted with uncomfortable feelings. Anger is framed as the only acceptable masculine emotion, over time developing into a lack of empathy toward others with nurturing impulses labelled as weakness.
It’s unsurprising that when boys are not taught to identify and manage their feelings appropriately, chronic stress and anxiety disorders frequently arise. You can’t address a problem you don’t realise you have.
Black men in particular are often taught by life experiences, and their caregivers, that the world isn’t a safe place for them or their emotions. They’re taught that if they want to survive, there is no place for weakness or vulnerability. And while masking emotion may provide perceived safety in the short term, over time it creates a deep rot. It creates a disdain for the world and an understandably jaded outlook on life. It makes us weary.
This one-two punch of racism and toxic masculinity, layered with the mental health stigma that’s often rife within Black communities weighs heavy on Black men. And it shows up in the numbers.
Moving Forward: Supporting Black Male Mental Health
Systemic racism is, and always has been, a public health issue. Wider society suffers both directly and indirectly when individual communities suffer from it.
When considering how to move forward, yes, we should look to pick up the pieces of ill mental health created by a broken system — but we should also strive to create a new reality. To create systems and spaces that address the specific factors impacting communities and in this case, Black men.
Unfortunately, change on a systemic scale can often feel out of reach. But if many of the causes are social, many of the solutions can be too.
Create Safe Spaces
People will only bare themselves emotionally if they feel safe. Safety can mean many things — it can mean protection, familiarity, understanding, non-judgment. The freedom to just be, without thought of how you’ll be perceived or reacted to.
When creating spaces like this, it’s helpful to have a shared interest (whatever that is) rather than a direct focus on mental health. Often just knowing that the topic isn’t taboo, that we have the freedom to talk about it as and when we please, is enough to create a feeling of safety. I recently began attending Soft Stuff Club, a community of Black men using creativity as a conduit for the important conversations. To call it a refreshing experience would be a gross understatement.
Change the Conversation
Stigma is one of the main reasons that mental health issues fester and worsen in Black men. The ability to push through turmoil (or ignore it entirely) without aid is worn as a badge of honour. In turn, the inability to do so is seen as a failure so severe that masculinity is pulled into question.
Our goal should be to create a new definition of masculinity that allows for the depth and breadth of human emotion. Understanding is the key here. As humans, we struggle to accept what we don’t understand. Mental health literacy isn’t taught in schools, so it has to be taught at some point later in life. Providing access to culturally-literate resources will be a pivotal step in changing the conversation and breaking down stigma.
Educate
Arguably the most important point — education. Knowing when, how, and where to access help — the specific kind of help you need — is an essential step to getting help. Earlier this year I wrote an ebook about starting therapy, with the aim of demystifying the process — I know first-hand how overwhelming it can be trying to navigate it on your own.
I also wrote a story here on Medium explaining how to begin journaling. Building a toolbox of mental wellbeing practices that you can go to whenever you need is incredibly helpful, and something I recommend to everyone. A Healing Journal for Black Men not only encourages journaling but also offers specific prompts to help you along the way.
The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health by Rheeda Walker provides easily understandable insight into factors impacting our communities, many of which I recognised in my own life.
We’re fortunate to be living in a time when charities like Black Minds Matter exist, providing specific help and resources to Black communities. Yet, many people don’t realise that such help is available. Even if you don’t need their help yourself, they do amazing work and your donations are welcome.
Black male mental health is complex, but it’s not confusing. It’s actually quite simple. Our disproportionate suffering can be understood and addressed, but it requires a commitment from all of us. It requires a commitment from Black men in particular, to first understand it and then to take positive action.
It may not be easy, but we can take responsibility for our futures and for the generations that follow. It starts with a decision. Will we continue to allow our collective trauma to define us, or will we move forward?
