Today, we are flooded with constant information from various sources, resulting in an overload of stimuli. Amidst this chaos, the topic of mental health stands out, particularly in the Black community. My capstone project tackles this issue, specifically focusing on Black males. Despite numerous challenges and events that have impacted my project, I have remained steadfast in my pursuit.

During my research, I had the opportunity to interview various professionals, including  three therapist, a US Marine veteran recovering from PTSD, a coroner, and a pastor, all based in Albany, Georgia. Everyone provided valuable insights, and their passion for their work and community was evident.

Mental Health & Unemployment in the Black Community

To gain a better understanding of this issue, I spoke with Angie S. Williams, CPS-P PAC Peer Support Coordinator, who shared her expertise and insights on the matter. She highlighted the significant role that racial and generational trauma plays in contributing to depression and emotional distress among Black males. Furthermore, she emphasized the correlation between unemployment and mental health issues in this group. My research also led me to a paper published by Duke University in 2018, Males, Unemployment, and Mental Health in The USA it stated “Kessler et al. (1988) recognized that among a group of workers who become unemployed, some may have contributed to their job loss due to a history of poor mental health. They attempt to address this source of simultaneity bias by analyzing a subsample of their data composed of persons who self-reported that they were not responsible for their unemployment. 

How finding your passion help with Mental Health Issues?

My second interview was with Retired US Marine Staff Sgt. Richard A. Bailey.  Richard is man that not afraid to share his story to help others. Doing his interview, he shared that how he went from being a lifelong US Marine for 20 years to feeling alone and not knowing his next move after retiring. “After five years of being retired Marine from US Marine Corps I had a difficult transition as most Marines do.” Richard later spoke on what retiring felt like, “It feels like you’re leaving a piece of you behind. Even though you may communicate with your previous Marines company something still feels missing whether it is combat or not. It is difficult to figure out my placement in the world amongst civilians. This is an example of what I deal with from my PTSD.”

According to American Heart Association report, “Black veterans with PTSD may face a higher risk of rehospitalization after a stroke. “Black veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder were more likely to be re-hospitalized after a stroke than white veterans and Black veterans without PTSD, a new study has found.

The study, which reviewed data from more than 93,000 veterans, was published Thursday in the American Heart Association Journal Stroke.”

Previous studies have shown that people with PTSD have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke and that they have strokes at younger ages than the general population. Studies also have shown that Black adults have a higher risk of rehospitalization after stroke. But this is one of the first studies to analyze how PTSD affects what happens after a stroke. This study only further proves that stress is the killer of many.

  An alternative viewpoint from an external observer while operating from within.

My third interview came from Caroline Chandler

Chief Clinical Officer – Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities. Caroline has passion for helping those individuals affected with IDD and the families affected it as well. Personally, knowing families that have individuals with IDD, I’ve seen the toll it has taken on the families when they are unable to access resources. Caroline spoke on this during her interview,

“In the 1970s on the term, social determinants of health came in to play, and that talked about the disparity among systemic race and looking at the poverty, gender and socioeconomic levels of people and how they act had access to care and resources a lot of times the education level of families Prevents them from knowing where to go for resources and how to access the health that they need again based on poverty and have an access to insurance money for medication things of that nature along with their social circle when a person has any disability it’s important to have support a friends, their faith base, community, coworkers, and a lot of times in poverty we don’t see that Built into the community.” According to an article published by the New Disable South

Racial disparities are a pervasive issue within the realm of public healthcare. Research has found that we see similar trends when examining health and healthcare disparities among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) when comparing them to non-disabled adults and children. Research has uncovered notable racial disparities in mortality rates among those with an IDD. The findings reveal that Black individuals with IDD have a higher rate of death (1.56) compared to their White counterparts (1.06). Caroline interview hit on many key points regarding IDD, she even spoke later how her education that gain her the job to be able to take care of her own that has IDD.

Get you mind right while getting your head right

During my podcast with Dr. Cat, a professional speaker, best-selling author and therapist we discuss everything when it came to how mental health affects the Black Community.  And while she spoke on all tradition methods of treatments for RA health therapy, she spoke on non-traditional methods as well. “We really wanna thank our stylist and our barbers who are on the front line. A lot of us is part of the culture we go and get our hair done or we go get cleaned up and shaved and we talk and during that time we have conversations based on how we’re feeling based on some challenges and a lot of times we’re seeking some advice.” An article with by Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, UCHealth only further confirmed the conversation Dr. Cat and I had regarding stylist and barbers filling the gap as therapist.” Doctors and psychologists have long known that people feel comfortable opening about life’s challenges while they’re sitting in a stylist’s chair or visiting a barber shop.”

Changing the Narrative: An Examination of Mental Well-being in the Black Community From a Pastor’s and Coroner’s Perspective

Through the insightful perspectives of Pastor Ronald, an on-air radio personality, and Coroner Michael Fowler, who has witnessed first-hand the effects of recent tragedies, we explore the importance of seeking help and breaking the stigma surrounding mental health.

The Pastor and The Coroner both stress the significance of addressing mental health challenges and the role it plays in the Black community, particularly regarding the higher crime rate. This project aims to shed light on this issue and encourage the community to come together and support one another.

It’s Time to BUILD

Through my interviews, I discovered the power of sharing unique stories and the importance of breaking the silence on mental health. In line with this, I would like to invite you to join our BUILD Facebook Group, where we showcase and celebrate individual stories and experiences. BUILD, which stands for Broadcasting Unique Individuals Lives Daily, is an online platform for individuals to share their stories and be heard.

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