Mental Health
Mental illness affects all communities yet African Americans overall are less inclined than whites to seek treatment. According to the U.S. Office of Minority Health, African American adults are twenty percent more likely to report psychological distress than white adults. Similarly, African American adults living below the poverty line are two-to-three times more likely to report serious psychological distress than those living above the poverty line.
Yet African Americans face greater economic and cultural barriers to accessing mental health services. The CBC Health Braintrust is working to reduce barriers and lessen the stigma of mental health treatment and promote cultural and public policy strategies that enhance mental wellbeing.