But Blacks are least likely seek mental health help
This story continues MSR’s coverage of the online forum “We Good: COVID-19 and Black MN.”
New U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Health statistics published last week by Statista.com show that compared with the same period last year, those suffering from anxiety and depression have seen their symptoms more than triple: From eight percent in 2019 to 28 percent (anxiety), from six percent to 24.4 percent (depression), and from 11 percent to almost 34 percent for both.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) says Black Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population, problems such as major depression, ADHD, suicide and PTSD, homelessness and exposure to violence.
The Black Mental Health Alliance said that more than a third of suicides by Blacks in this country have involved Black children between the ages of five and 12, exceeding those of White children other ethnicities in the same age group.
“Most of the time the therapist will be White,”
According to the Black Mental Health Alliance, only six percent of psychologists, five percent of advanced-practice psychiatric nurses, 12 percent of social workers and 21 percent of psychiatrists are Black or other people of color.
