It’s time to shift the culture around mental health and black men, reclaiming our strength
Kevin Dedner, MPH
It seems that we may be in the midst of dramatic cultural shift regarding mental health in America. Just a few weeks ago, the country was rocked by suicides of high profile celebrities, and many stars have started to talk openly about their mental health challenges. All of this points to an awareness that mental health is essential.
July marks the beginning of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s a perfect time to start a conversation about the emotional and mental health of Black men. That’s why Henry Health has partnered with the Office of the General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to launch, #ReclaimOurStrength, a national digital campaign aimed at raising the awareness of the importance of the emotional and mental health of Black men. It’s a step to shifting a culture with profoundly rooted stigma about accessing mental health services.
Adult Blacks are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems compared to the general population. The factors and stressors that trigger mental health issues are more common among Black men. Only 6.6% of Black men used mental health services last year.
Through my lived experience and countless conversations with Black men, I have become aware that stressors from daily activities are wearing Black men down. What I know for sure is that the macho, “I got this” attitude is killing Black men. Our culture has convinced us that to maintain our manhood; we must always appear to “have it together.”
None of us are SUPERman, and we shouldn’t pretend that we are. What I am finding is that many men are reaching a point that they are forced to admit that they are not SUPERman. But, the journey to this understanding is often painful and destructive. We’d like to shift the thinking and help men to realize that admitting that you need help is the first step to reclaiming your strength.
People often ask me the story behind the name, Henry. The truth is that we asked a focus group of men to tell us the name of a man in their life who was synonymous with what it meant to be strong. The men gave us several names, but Henry stood out.
In the back of my mind, I knew the story of the African American folk hero, John Henry. As the tale goes, John Henry worked on the railroad and was known for his strength, the steel-driving man. He was tasked with hammering a steel drill into rock to make holes of explosives. According to the legend, John Henry’s strength was ultimately measured in a race that he won. But, he would die with his hammer in hand as his heart gave out from stress. That’s the story of Black men in America. While he often appears to have won, the consequences to the pressure that he endures are deadly.
So, let’s let July 2018 be the beginning of a new way of thinking about mental health for Black men. To encourage this conversation, we have launched ReClaim Our Strength. There you will find an infographic that we’ve developed on the top stressors for Black men.
We are also inviting Black men to share their personal stories on the site. Throughout the month, we will also release editorials from national and public & mental health leaders on the stressors for Black men. The month will end with a national Twitter town hall. Starting the conversation is only the first step to reclaiming our strength.
For more information, visit http://www.reclaimourstrength.com.
#mentalhealth #digitalhealth #publichealth #wellness #emotionalhealth #blackmen #health #emotionalhealth
