Exploring the Stigmatization of Mental Health in the Black Community

Abstract

Research shows that governmental reports have documented the existence of substantial mental health care disparities by race and ethnicity in the United States. Mental health disparities are on the rise, with those in the African American community being the most afflicted (Carpenter-Song, Whitley, Lawson, Quimby, & Drake, 2009). Stigmatizing views of mental illness in the black community contribute to disparities in mental health care. Through the use of critical discourse analysis, this study investigates how culture and socioeconomic disparities shape the stigmatization of mental illness among African Americans and aims to create a step in the direction of generating a positive dialogue on mental health within the community.