Abstract:

Today, mental health in the U.S. has become the focus of a growing body of scholarship as researchers examine the antecedents to the nations current political polarization and increasingly violent responses to the multiple existential threats that confront humanity. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, has not only brought to the forefront the critical importance of public health but has also exposed the vulnerabilities in the nation's mental health infrastructure. Likewise, the looming threat of climate change and other existential challenges, such as global conflicts and economic instability, have raised concerns about the psychological impact of living in an era marked by uncertainty about the future. As a result, many people are grappling with a sense of existential anxiety and despair as they witness the environmental degradation and social disruptions caused by these global challenges. Indeed, the prolonged stress, fear, and uncertainty that are associated with the pandemic have exacerbated preexisting mental health issues and led to a surge in demand for mental health services. Against this backdrop, developing an improved understanding concerning the interplay between mental health, political polarization, and responses to existential threats has become imperative. Not surprisingly, already marginalized groups including most especially African American men are experiencing the adverse effects of these trends at an even greater rate than mainstream American society. Therefore, there is a corresponding growing need for cultural relevant health intervention competence raining among mental health workers in the United States, with a particular emphasis on reducing mental health disparities among African American men. To this end, the project aims to address the prevailing challenges in mental health care that disproportionately affect this demographic to identify current constraints and opportunities for improvement.

Thesis Statement:

The purpose of this cultural relevant health intervention project is to highlight the need to embrace cultural competence training targeting mental health workers to reduce cases of mental health problems in the U.S., especially among African American men.

Annotated Bibliography:

Allen, J. L., Szechy, K. A., Campbell, R. D., Nobile, J., & Huggins-Hoyt, K. Y. (2023). Swept under the rug and forgotten... A qualitative study exploring the lived experiences of four Black/African American men living with depression. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 33(6), 793809.

The authors report that the purpose of this qualitative study was to gain new insights concerning the manner in which African American men perceive, discuss, and manage their experiences of depression. The research context noted that while men, in general, are less likely to receive depression diagnoses compared to women, the experiences of African American men are frequently overlooked to an even greater extent. The study analyzed interviews with four African American men, which were part of a larger qualitative investigation into depression within the African American community. Qualitative content analysis techniques, including open coding, were used to identify recurring themes in the interviews that revealed commonalities in the participants' experiences. The four key recurring themes that were identified in the study were: (1) depressive episodes as responses to traumatic life events; (2) the significance of family and paternal figures for African American men; (3) coping mechanisms such as substance use and sleeping; and, (d) the pervasive stigma surrounding depression as a major barrier to seeking help and utilizing services. The findings that emerged from this study indicate that African Americans experience depression within the framework described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V, but they frequently adapt to these experiences, soldier through the emotional pain and tend to normalize their feelings as typical aspects of daily life as an African American male in the U.S. today. The paper concludes with recommendations for service providers working with African American men including most especially the importance of developing cultural competence and sensitivity when addressing depression within this population. The timeliness and relevance of this study make it a highly valuable resource for the proposed study.

Bauer, A. G., Christensen, K., Bowe-Thompson, C., Lister, S., Aduloju-Ajijola, N., & Berkley-Patton, J. (2020). We Are Our Own Counselor: Resilience, Risk Behaviors, and Mental Health Service Utilization among Young African American Men. Behavioral Medicine, 46(3/4), 278289.

The authors emphasize that in spite of the increased risk of trauma, subsequent mental health issues, and poor health outcomes among young Black/African American men (YBM), they are less likely to receive mental health services compared to other racial/ethnic groups. While there is a growing body of research on resilience, there is limited information on how resilience relates to risk behaviors and the use of mental health services among YBM who have experienced trauma. This tudy aimed to investigate the relationships between resilience, trauma-related risk behaviors, and the utilization of mental health services among a sample of YBM who have experienced trauma. The research included focus groups and a brief survey involving 55 YBM who had been exposed to at least one traumatic event, such as witnessing violence or experiencing a serious injury or illness. Participants were primarily recruited from urban community settings like colleges, barbershops, and churches and had an average age of 23 years. The study found that trauma exposure was a significant predictor of risk factors but resilience...

…racism have exposed African American youths to systemic stressors, such as community violence, racism, trauma, and poverty, which further exacerbate any existing mental health problems and worsen disparities in accessing and engaging in mental health treatment. The authors stress that exposure to racism and racial trauma in K12 schools have exerted a wide range of harmful effects on African American students academic achievement, emotion regulation, and socioemotional well-being. Moreover, recent political controversies surrounding the teaching of critical race theory, racism, and racial trauma in schools have worsened oppressive systems within higher education. The relevance of this study for the purposes of the study proposed herein has increased in recent years as some states pass laws limiting education on the history of slavery, racism, and racial inequality with a corresponding increased urgency for cultural competent interventions, collective action and racial healing.

Yoon, E., Coburn, C., & Spence, S. A. (2019). Perceived discrimination and mental health among older African Americans: the role of psychological well-being. Aging & Mental Health, 23(4), 461469.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how older African Americans mental health is influenced by their perception of discrimination, encompassing both racial and non-racial forms. Likewise, the study also aimed to explore whether two aspects of psychological well-being (e.g., purpose in life and self-acceptance), could serve as buffers against these effects. To this end, the authors used multiple regression models of a subgroup of 397 older African Americans

stratified by gender to assess the impact of two categories of discrimination (e.g., everyday and lifetime) on their mental health. In addition, the study also examined whether psychological well-being factors played a mediating role. The study found that while there were no gender disparities in everyday discrimination, older African American men reported experiencing more instances of lifetime discrimination compared to their female counterparts. The analysis for older men revealed that depressive symptoms were significantly linked to everyday discrimination and that self-acceptance acted as a mediating factor. Among older women, the model demonstrated significance, with everyday discrimination, self-acceptance, and purpose in life emerging as mediating variables. The findings indicated a consistent prevalence of institutional lifetime discrimination among older African American men, aligning with previous research; however, the study revealed that only everyday discrimination was statistically associated with depressive symptoms, which deviates from certain prior findings. Further, the findings emphasize the necessity of specifically addressing racial discrimination within mental health care settings. Given the protective role of psychological well-being in mental health and the rapidly aging African American population, this study is highly relevant for the purposes of the study…