Historical adversity, which includes slavery, sharecropping and race-based exclusion from health, educational, social and economic resources, translates into socioeconomic disparities experienced by African Americans today. Socioeconomic status, in turn, is linked to not only mental health but total health overall and the ability to afford decent healthcare for many. People who are impoverished, homeless, incarcerated or have substance abuse problems are at higher risk for poor health.
Demographics/Societal Issues
- 13.2 % of the U.S. population, or roughly 45.7 million people, identify themselves as Black or African American, according to 2014 U.S. Census Bureau numbers. Another 2.5% identified as multiracial. This represents an increase from 12.6 percent of the U.S. population, who identified themselves as Black/African-American in the 2010 Census. [1]
- As of 2010, Fifty-five percent of all Black/African American people lived in the South, 18 percent lived in the Midwest, 17 percent in the Northeast, and 10 percent in the West. [2]
- Despite progress made over the years, racism continues to have an impact on the mental health of Black/African Americans. Negative stereotypes and attitudes of rejection have decreased, but continue to occur with measurable, adverse consequences. Historical and contemporary instances of negative treatment have led to a mistrust of authorities, many of whom are not seen as having the best interests of Black/African Americans in mind.
Stats courtesy of Mental Health America
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