You are Heard

Mental health is always a difficult topic to discuss, especially with young adults of this generation, but is conceivably much harder in the Black community. While the topic may seem very straightforward, mental health is a deep hole that is easy to lose yourself in. The Black community isn’t the only group to deal with mental health issues, but they are arguably overlooked the most.

The History

From a young age, Black youth is often told to “suck it up” or “toughen up” when they express to their loved ones signs of depression and other mental health concerns. The historical causes of this approach go back generations, making the community ignorant to emotions that are a natural part of growing up. Anna Solt, MD, a Cedars-Sinai psychiatrist, said that reduced access to mental healthcare for minorities is often due to cultural stigmas and stereotypical beliefs within a culture that can cause barriers to mental health treatment. The National Library of Medicine explained that Black adolescents between the ages of 12–18 years old, have been characterized as a particularly disadvantaged group given misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis of certain mental health disorders, underdiagnosis of others, and limited access to mental health treatment.

The Solution

Northfield High School has an abundance of mental health resources readily available for those in need of them. Nobody should feel like they have to struggle with mental health, and that goes for the Black student population at Northfield as well. If there’s anything to be learned from this article, it’s that therapy and expressing your emotions and feelings isn’t for those who need it, but for those who are willing to do it.