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Masai05
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 03:38 |
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| Not sure about the Rest of the Black world but in Black America people with problems generally shun mental health treatment. In our Culture it is like an unwritten rule to not see a psychologist unless a doctor absolutely refers one or the Judicial system mandates it. My old Psychology professor, an Ethiopian Dr talked about the disparity in regards to the total number of psychologists in the USA, over 2.4 million at that time juxtapose 400 thousand registered in the entire continent of Africa as well as a minute number in the Caribbean. During the time of the conversation I attributed it to the Lifestyles in these respective places but as I studied more and more elements of various worldly Black cultures I found that it was because it is shunned rather than being addressed by respective cultural communities. I can only read about studies, inventories and other credentials outside the USA and parts of central America but how on/off am I on this subject? Rape, abuse, torture, superstition, low self-esteem, mental illnesses and stress all takes its toll on us, when do we give in and seek help?
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The Mighty Mos Def
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 04:21 |
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Masai05 wrote:
Not sure about the Rest of the Black world but in Black America people with problems generally shun mental health treatment. In our Culture it is like an unwritten rule to not see a psychologist unless a doctor absolutely refers one or the Judicial system mandates it. My old Psychology professor, an Ethiopian Dr talked about the disparity in regards to the total number of psychologists in the USA, over 2.4 million at that time juxtapose 400 thousand registered in the entire continent of Africa as well as a minute number in the Caribbean. During the time of the conversation I attributed it to the Lifestyles in these respective places but as I studied more and more elements of various worldly Black cultures I found that it was because it is shunned rather than being addressed by respective cultural communities. I can only read about studies, inventories and other credentials outside the USA and parts of central America but how on/off am I on this subject? Rape, abuse, torture, superstition, low self-esteem, mental illnesses and stress all takes its toll on us, when do we give in and seek help?
Yes, mental health is taboo within our community. African/Black people don't want to be labeled "crazy" and, right or wrong, most of our people still associate mental health with lunacy.
In our country, look at NBA superstar Ron Artest who initially refused medication for his mental problems and still readily admits he doesn't take his medication regularly. Why? He's more worried about the stigma associated with seeking and treating mental health rather than actually being healthy.
I'm also of the opinion that most of our people believe these ills are associated with evil, and refuse to acknowledge their presence, because they don't want to see themselves as unholy. This is where our religious leaders must take initiative and educate themselves and then pass on that education to their parishioners, unfortunately, many of our religious leaders not only ignore the ill, but they also perpetuate many of the myths associated with mental health.
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Saida.M
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 08:58 |
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I think we have to ask ourselves that even if someone did want councelling - what sort of councelling would he/she get?
The 'profession' is riddled with racism as is the nation.
We should be more worried if they are going to get 'quality' treatment.
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Auset
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 12:06 |
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BEING IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE MYSELF AS A PROFESSIONAL NOT A PATIENT, YOU FIND THAT IN THE CARIBBEAN AND AFRICA THE RATE OF MENTAL ILLNESS IS LESS THAN IN THE WEST (EVEN THOUGH I DON'T LIKE THEM THIS WAS ALSO FOUND IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATIONS STUDY).
thIS COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO MANY FACTORS, COMMUNITY, SPIRITUALITY CLIMATE ETC, POVERTY, RASCISM, DIET , DRUGS ALL EFFECT THE MIND.
iN THIS COUNTRY THERE IS A HIGH REPRESENTATION OF BLACK PPL PARTICULARLY BLACK MEN IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. tHIS PARTLY DUE TO OVERDIAGNOSIS I.E A BLACK PERSON IS MORE LIKELY TO BE ASSIGNED THE LABEL OF SCHIZOPHRENIC AND GIVEN MORE MEDICATION. BUT ALSO BLACK PPL ARE LIVING AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS CHALLENGING ARE MENTAL HEALTH.
WE DEFINATELY NEED TO SEEK HELP WHEN NECESSARY AND UNDERSTAND THE LINK BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH, IF NOT THIGS WILL CONTINUE TO GET WORSE.
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Masai05
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 17:46 |
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Auset:
What country are you working in of you don't mind? I started this thread because in the teaching profession in the USA we encounter so many people who are not simply mentally ill but abused physically and mentally and have issues such as panic attacks, phobias and more.
Walking through NYC you get to see people from all walks of life and I see people being labeled as crazy from All Black ethnicities and people seem to abandone those people rather than getting them help which is nutz in its own. I'm wondering how Non American cultures deal with thier mentally ill, abused and isolated.
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Saida.M
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 19:28 |
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Masai05 wrote: Auset:
I'm wondering how Non American cultures deal with thier mentally ill, abused and isolated.
Even though this was not directed at me, I'm assuming you are talking about ordinary 'black' people in their everyday lives: Sadly they ignore them like everyone else.
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Masai05
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 21:01 |
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Athaba: the question can go out to anyone reading. I appreciate the response. I use to be in the military and I've noticed from reading and first hand experience with them that a lot of the homeless, beggars, and mentally ill out and about this town are veterans who have been forgotten and this is in a white/Latin context.
I've seen first hand how Mentally ill Black Folk are ignored, placed on a front porch or in a room on the back of the house and ignored. Ever see the Movie SOUL FOOD, how they had the crazy uncle who carried the television set with all the money in it? Well I've seen that person treated like that all my life. I'm wondering how universal this theme actually is and how we can fix it.
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Bredder Tukoma
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 22:25 |
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All I know is none of the many brothers that have entered those institutions are never good again. Them drugs f**k you up. If as a Black man you are unlucky enough to be diagnosed with mental illness / you better make sure you dont get into any form of violent altercation with police imvolved / becuase once they know you have mental illness history/ you will be sectioned quick time.
I dont trust anyone who bases their medicine off the theories of Freud or western psychology. As if psychology can be universal anyway and is not culture specific.
Boy if one of my family was acting violent and suffering from mental illness taking them to the authorities would be an absolute last resort/ you might as well wave them goodbye.
Id sooner try a obeah practioner than those psyco frauds.
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Masai05
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 22:28 |
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MansaMusa:
Cultural Psychology can deal with Culturally specific issues and Cultural specific remedies. Not sure how things are done in the UK but I usually refer peeps to these Types.
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BlackMatta
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 22:54 |
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Last edited on Thursday March 2nd, 2006 19:34 by
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Bredder Tukoma
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 23:01 |
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| Incidentally to add to Blackmatta about it being a stae of mental health. Plenty of that Skunk that evryone seems to smoke nowaydays is and will mess people up big time. Most of the people I know (at least 5) that have suffered mental ilness/ 3 are dead and the other 2 were heavy ash resin smokers. All were weed or heavy ash smokers. Anything that represses your dreams cant be good for your head.
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Masai05
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Posted: Monday May 23rd, 2005 23:14 |
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Blackmatta:
You made some excellent points! People take peace of mind and relaxation for granted. I'm against the proliferation of Personality altering drugs too. I would like to see more people dealing with stress, depression and other mood swings immediately, or people engaging in more talk therapy in order to prevent the onset of dimentia, clinical depression or the trigger of some dormant ailments like Bipolar disorder or worse.
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Saida.M
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Posted: Wednesday May 25th, 2005 11:18 |
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Masai05 wrote: Blackmatta:
You made some excellent points! People take peace of mind and relaxation for granted. I'm against the proliferation of Personality altering drugs too. I would like to see more people dealing with stress, depression and other mood swings immediately, or people engaging in more talk therapy in order to prevent the onset of dimentia, clinical depression or the trigger of some dormant ailments like Bipolar disorder or worse.
Yes, even though I'm not in the profession, (but I am aware of some aspects of it), and to agree with blackmatta, prevention is always better than a cure.
Your points are all well and good, but like I said, sadly when it come to 'black' people we have to worry about the type of sessions they will receive.
A cynical me would be inclined to believe that they deliberately ignore/turn their backs on 'black' people, just to see how far any mental health condition would develop if left untreated or test them out with some new drug.
Given that they only 'legalised' cannabis in Brixton, (a so called 'black' area of London/UK), - I doubt that I am wrong.
Last edited on Wednesday May 25th, 2005 11:25 by Saida.M
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LadyBridget
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Posted: Wednesday May 25th, 2005 14:53 |
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Masai05 wrote: Athaba: the question can go out to anyone reading. I appreciate the response. I use to be in the military and I've noticed from reading and first hand experience with them that a lot of the homeless, beggars, and mentally ill out and about this town are veterans who have been forgotten and this is in a white/Latin context.
I've seen first hand how Mentally ill Black Folk are ignored, placed on a front porch or in a room on the back of the house and ignored. Ever see the Movie SOUL FOOD, how they had the crazy uncle who carried the television set with all the money in it? Well I've seen that person treated like that all my life. I'm wondering how universal this theme actually is and how we can fix it.
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A friend of mine has an apartment building and she only rents rooms to the mentally ill. All her clients are male. She assist with paper work to see that they continue their entitlements.When she's there she reminds them to take their medication and keep their appointments but basically they live on their own. This is not something everyone can do but help like this from people in the community can help put a dent in the problem.
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Mafdet
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Posted: Wednesday May 25th, 2005 20:39 |
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To answer the question of this subject my answer is YES!!!!!!!
But it should be counselling done by our own for our own in our own institutes. Europeans have no compassion within them in trying to help solve or understand mental health issues amongst our people....they are too quick to label them as aggressive and violent and drug them up to the point of no return. Such as what many here has already pointed out in their replies.
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Mafdet
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Posted: Wednesday May 25th, 2005 20:40 |
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mansamusa wrote: .
Boy if one of my family was acting violent and suffering from mental illness taking them to the authorities would be an absolute last resort/ you might as well wave them goodbye.
Id sooner try a obeah practioner than those psyco frauds.
@mansamusa
 thats funny pure jokes you give me.
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Masai05
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Posted: Tuesday May 31st, 2005 15:58 |
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Mafdet:
One of the things that our generation has to take up is Black mental health. Our generation has to take the science and create programs unique to the struggles of Black people. If it includes certain rites of Obeah then so be it but in a hostile environment of poverty, oppression and contempt we need to find ways to help our kind.
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Kunjufu
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Posted: Tuesday May 31st, 2005 16:34 |
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The Independent Sunday (London, England), Sept 28, 2003 p2
MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN: Ministers `suppressed' damning race report. (News) Sophie Goodchild.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2003 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.
Byline: Sophie Goodchild Home Affairs Correspondent
The author of a damning report, which brands mental health services institutionally racist, has accused the Government of trying to suppress its findings.
Professor Sashi Sashidharan, a senior psychiatrist and member of the Government's Mental Health Task Force, said ministers also rejected his proposal of setting up NHS targets for treating black and ethnic-minority patients.
"The original report had specific targets and these were removed," said Professor Sashidharan, medical director of North Birmingham Mental Health Trust. "This was not circulated widely. It was put on the website. There was an attempt to try to suppress it. People only heard about it by word of mouth, even those involved in this line of work. This is a report that will sit on someone's shelf, which makes me feel dismayed and angry."
The plight of black people caught up in the mental health system was thrown into sharp focus last week when Frank Bruno was sectioned under the Mental Health Act over concerns for his wellbeing.
The Conservatives are now calling for an independent inquiry into ethnic- minority care following the publication of Professor Sashidharan's study, called Inside Outside.
"It is unacceptable that the Government is so badly neglecting the mental health needs of ethnic communities," said Liam Fox, shadow health secretary. "In the words of the report, `Patients from all ethnic minority groups are more likely than white majority patients to be misunderstood and misdiagnosed.' This is a betrayal of our most vulnerable communities."
Professor Sashidharan was appointed to chair a panel of experts who were commissioned by the Department of Health to produce the first Government- backed study carried out into the state of mental health services for black and minority people. Published in April, the findings were damning. The report concluded that mental health services were institutionally racist, that the whole issue of ethnicity within mental health services had become marginalised or even ignored and that these problems were getting worse.
Inside Outside also revealed that mentally distressed black people are more likely to be locked away, that rates of compulsory admission are markedly higher and that black and minority patients are more likely than white people to be assessed as requiring greater degrees of supervision, control and security.
Turning Point, the social care organisation, said that black people received "culturally insensitive" treatment. "Stereotypes influence the diagnosis and treatment which people receive, leading to lack of access to appropriate assessment, treatment and care," said Lord Adebowale, Turning Point's chief executive. "The draft Mental Health Bill further increases the possible abuse of powers enabled under the current Act in terms of the black and ethnic-minority population."
In a statement, the Department of Health said it acknowledged that services for black people and ethnic minorities need to improve. It said that ministers would publish a consultation paper next month, setting out a new plan to improve race equality in mental health services.
t The Mental Health Alliance will attend this year's Labour Party conference to urge the Government to radically alter the draft Mental Health Bill.Last edited on Tuesday May 31st, 2005 16:43 by Kunjufu
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Kunjufu
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Posted: Tuesday May 31st, 2005 16:40 |
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The Independent Sunday (London, England), Sept 28, 2003 p19
Blacks failed by our `racist' system of care for mentally ill; Sufferers from ethnic minorities are more likely to be locked up than given proper treatment, reports Sophie Goodchild. (Features) Sophie Goodchild.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2003 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.
Byline: Sophie Goodchild
Frank Bruno is not the first black celebrity whose life has been blighted by mental illness. Trisha Goddard, the chat show host, has admitted that she has been in a psychiatric hospital and has twice attempted suicide. Mercury Music Prize winner Ms Dynamite has also talked openly about her depression.
Their cases made headlines because of their public profile, but for every Frank Bruno or Ms Dynamite there are thousands of black men and women who pass through Britain's mental health system, and their largely negative experiences go unreported.
Ethnic minority groups in Britain are far more likely than their white counterparts to be diagnosed with psychiatric disorders. Women born in India and East Africa have a 40 per cent higher suicide rate than those born in England and Wales. Young African-Caribbean men are particularly vulnerable. They are up to 10 times more likely than white people to be diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Mental health reformers say these alarming statistics are indicative of the fact that black people are victims of a system which is institutionally racist, that their more severe symptoms are often misinterpreted by psychiatrists who wrongly perceive these patients as dangerous.
Psychiatrist Dr Aggrey Burke, a specialist in deprivation and mental illness in ethnic minority families, said psychiatrists pigeonhole black people as difficult and therefore in need of restraint, not healing. "You look at Frank Bruno - 10 police officers to restrain him," said Dr Burke, a senior lecturer in the department of mental health sciences at St George's Hospital medical school in London.
"This is partly due to seeing blacks as dangerous. There is this mind- set that the black population is tricky, difficult to deal with. The Government has not attempted to understand the root issues which are poverty and deprivation."
Dr Burke also criticises the huge disparity in the standards of treatment that can be expected by white people and those from ethnic minorities. Afro-Caribbeans are seven times more likely than white people to be sent to medium-secure units. The majority of patients on any locked secure hospital ward in London will be young, black men. Instead of receiving therapy, they will be given the "liquid cosh", the term used to describe the powerful sedatives used to subdue psychiatric patients.
The fact that many health practitioners are biased towards containing black patients instead of curing them was highlighted in a report called Inside Outside which was the first Government-backed study into the mental health care provided for black and ethnic minorities. It found that the service was institutionally racist, that the whole issue of ethnicity within mental health services had become marginalised or even ignored and that these problems were getting worse.
The report confirms fears that mentally distressed black people are more likely to be locked away. For example, it reveals that rates of compulsory admission are markedly higher for black and minority ethnic groups in comparison with whites and that black and ethnic minority patients are more likely than white people to be assessed as requiring greater degrees of supervision, control and security.
So damning were the findings of Inside Outside that they prompted a special debate in Parliament and led the Conservatives to call for an independent inquiry into ethnic minority care.
The author of the report was Professor Sashi Sashidharan, a member of the Government's Mental Health Task Force. In his opinion, the situation has reached crisis point. "The issue is that people from black and ethnic minority communities are severely disadvantaged because mental health services have paid little attention to their needs," says Professor Sashidharan, medical director of North Birmingham Mental Health Trust.
"The point I tried to get across is that the situation is pretty dire and we've known about it for a long time. There has been very little in the way of acknowledgement from the Government. That is what is more appalling. There is very little enthusiasm for improving services for black people."
Unless action is taken now to address the mental health needs of ethnic minorities, Professor Sashidharan warns that suicide rates will escalate and social problems such as drug abuse and crime will multiply. "Frank Bruno's experience of being locked up in a psychiatric hospital is indicative of what is happening to black people in general terms," he says. "There are hundreds of young black men with huge potential who are being dragged into psychiatric hospitals with little benefit. That's the tragedy."
While black people are over-represented in the mental health system, they are under-represented in the psychiatric profession. The Royal College of Psychiatrists says that 24 per cent of its 9,000 members describe themselves as non-white. However, unofficial estimates indicate there are fewer than a dozen Afro-Caribbean psychiatrists and around 50 are African.
Professor Sashidharan does not think more black psychiatrists would necessarily improve patient/practitioner relations although it could help to solve inequality in treatment. He is urging the Department of Health to set NHS improvement targets for ethnic minority mental health services. So far, ministers have rejected this proposal. But the pressure on them is mounting especially with the imminent publication of the draft Mental Health Bill. Campaigners fear that the Bill's current emphasis on dangerousness will lead to the locking up of even more black people.
Earlier this month, the Afiya Trust, which campaigns against inequalities in health care for ethnic minorities, called on the Government to back a national network for black and minority ethnic mental health. "We have got a crisis on our hands, a public health crisis," says Peter Scott Blackman, director of the Afiya Trust. "The fact there are so many black people represented comes out of poverty, low aspirations and institutional racism. And we can't pretend it's not happening because the figures are getting worse every day."
Additional reporting by Diana Espirito SantoLast edited on Tuesday May 31st, 2005 16:43 by Kunjufu
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Kunjufu
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Posted: Tuesday May 31st, 2005 16:58 |
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If i may I'd like to state a fact and then ask a question:
- Did people know for instance that the previlence of mental illness is significantly LOWER throughout AFRICA, and that Africa deals with mental illness BETTER than in the Western world... does anyone know why this is?
- Does anyone have any ideas what the major factors that leads to Mental illness?
- Does anyone know what Schizophrenia is and how would you spot it?
- Does anyone in the UK know how you become detained in hospital against ones will?
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Baron_Samedi
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Posted: Tuesday May 31st, 2005 17:04 |
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Hey Kat a few quotes from Kunjufu's articles:
"While black people are over-represented in the mental health system, they are under-represented in the psychiatric profession. The Royal College of Psychiatrists says that 24 per cent of its 9,000 members describe themselves as non-white. However, unofficial estimates indicate there are fewer than a dozen Afro-Caribbean psychiatrists and around 50 are African."
"Earlier this month, the Afiya Trust, which campaigns against inequalities in health care for ethnic minorities, called on the Government to back a national network for black and minority ethnic mental health."
This is why it is important that Black people get more involved in matters that heavily effect us where ever we are.
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Baron_Samedi
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Posted: Tuesday May 31st, 2005 17:18 |
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Kunjufu wrote:
If i may I'd like to state a fact and then ask a question:
* Did people know for instance that the previlence of mental illness is significantly LOWER throughout AFRICA, and that Africa deals with mental illness BETTER than in the Western world... does anyone know why this is?
I too had a cultural Psyche professor that went into the statistics regarding the USA and Africa. One of the major issues with the So-called developed world is that you have all these different people who try to coexist outside their cultural norms. In most Euro Countries people migrate for work, you have all these different people in England, france etc that move for economics and left their civility back home. they are forced to adapt to norms that contradict "good values", the concept of "family" "friendship", business and comraderie. All this takes its toll on you mentally. In Africa and other homogeneous places the norms are theirs, the culture deals with issues in culturally relevant ways and there is no pressure to conform outside the already established norms.
* Does anyone have any ideas what the major factors that leads to Mental illness?
Stress, pressure to conform, drugs and alcohol, abuse, discomfort
* Does anyone know what Schizophrenia is and how would you spot it?
Have one in my family, it is marked by erratic behavior, inability to stay grounded in reality, severe mood/emotional swings, almost like having a split personality. You'd spot it by knowing someone and observing the changes.
* Does anyone in the UK know how you become detained in hospital against ones will?
Not from the Uk but would be very interested in finding out how this works.
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Kunjufu
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Posted: Tuesday May 31st, 2005 17:38 | | | |
