Black individuals are not accessing treatment as often as their white counterparts due to the following barriers:
Systemic Racism
"My mom ended up in the hospital for a week after going to see a therapist, she lost her job, I'm can't afford to lose mine. I'll deal with the stress."
Low Socioeconomic Background
"I don't have time or money to talk about my problems with someone who isn't really going to understand."
Stigma Surrounding Getting Help
"People who look like me don't get help. We power through it and let God take care of it. "
Lack of Resources
"The only program my insurance will cover is over a hour away. I can't make it there and still work full time. "
Systemic Racism
Racism is embedded in every system that we navigate and is at the core of health inequities (Koob & Schulkin 2019; Van Dyke et al., 2020). Impacting social, political, and economic spheres, systemic racism creates a barrier to treatment for Black individuals in the following ways:
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Less access to quality care.
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Distrust in medical providers due to negative experiences.
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Extreme poverty is linked to poor housing/homelessness, increased drug use, lack of resources, increased crime, and incarceration.
Low Socioeconomic Background
Social stress theory, developed by Carol S. Aneshensel in 1992, highlights how individuals with a low socioeconomic status are more likely to experience greater societal stressors that they cannot control, such as poor housing, lack of access to resources, and discrimination (Amaro 2021). ​Black individuals have shared that these societal stressors have created barriers to treatment in the following ways:
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“ Where I live isn’t going to change and neither is the stress I experience from living there so why would I go to treatment.”
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“I can't leave work to go to treatment when I can barely afford to keep a roof over my head.”
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“I can’t take a bus for 2 hours to and from treatment when I have to work and take care of my child.”
Stigma Surrounding Getting Help
There are many forms of stigma that Black individuals face that cause barriers to accessing and engaging in mental health treatment. Black individuals are more apprehensive about seeking treatment due to structural stigma. This stigma causes Black individuals to have negative healthcare experiences and perceptions of treatment due to general mistrust in the healthcare system.
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Black individuals also conceal their mental health status due to societal stigma which creates another barrier to treatment. The fear of bringing shame to themselves, and their family units, and potentially stigmatizing responses from others influences their decision to seek help (Harris. Et al., 2020; Misra. Et al., 2021).
Lack of Resources
The lack of access to resources is considered a structural barrier. Structural barriers hinder access to resources at a systematic level which causes the following barriers to treatment:
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If services are provided in the communities they live in.
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If they can access services outside of the communities they live in.
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If they have insurance coverage or finances to pay for treatment.
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Lack of public education on mental health services and their benefits.
(Misra et al., 2021; Harris et al., 2020; Snowden, 2001.)
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