May Puts Focus on Mental Health

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Joel K. Johnson, M.Ed
Joel K. Johnson, M.Ed

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STANDARD

Dr. Carl C. Bell, M.D.

by Thelma Sardin

Each year, millions of Americans are affected by mental illness. May is Mental Health Month and this time raises awareness of mental health conditions and mental wellness.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in four adults-approximately 57.7 million Americans- experience a mental health disorder in a given year. One in 17 lives with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder and one in 10 children live with a serious mental or emotional disorder.

Closer to home, in Illinois, the numbers expose a stern reality. NAMI reports out of the states 12.9 million citizens, close to 421,000 adults live with serious mental illness and about 142,000 children live with serious mental health conditions.

In the Black community, mental illness is a taboo issue. The subject harbors a stigma among Blacks because it is misunderstood. NAMI reports that cultural biases against mental health professionals and health care professionals in general prevent many Blacks from accessing care. This is due to prior experiences with historical misdiagnoses, inadequate treatment and a lack of cultural understanding. Numbers for Black professionals in the mental health field is disheartening; 2 percent are psychiatrists, 2 percent are psychologists and 4 percent are social workers in the United States.

Despite the low numbers of Black mental health care professionals, Chicago is home to two African American males who are creating change in the field-- Joel K. Johnson, M.Ed. and Dr. Carl C. Bell, M.D. . Johnson is president and CEO of Human Resources Development Inc. (HRDI) and Dr. Bell is president/CEO of the Community Mental Health Council (The Council). Johnson was recently named president of HRDI after two years as the organizations chief administrative officer. Johnson is a nationally respected child welfare expert who has worked with a host of organizations including the Child Welfare League of America and Drug Intervention Service Center. Bell has practiced psychiatry for over 35 years. In addition to his work with The Council he is also the acting director of the Institute for Juvenile Research and a professor at the Department of Psychiatry and School of Public Health at the University of Illinois School of Medicine.

HRDIs is a 37 year old organization that was founded by Dr. C. Vincent Bakeman and Doris M. Lomax. The organizations initiatives address a host of issues including alcohol and substance abuse; youth drug prevention, mental health and alternative youth education. Were a community based organization so what we try and do is offer our services to people in need in hopes that through assessment and intervention, not only are [we] able to help those persons but extend our services to their entire family, Johnson said. He added that the organizations services are not free but its mission is to help people regardless. We service them despite their ability to pay in hopes that by the time weve helped them or integrated them in our service delivery system that weve found a mechanism in which we can the recoup funds to serve themwe dont want to turn anyone away.

Johnson discussed how HRDI assists its clients through its programs. We try to find some normalcy in a persons behavior. Its important because if its left untreated it gets worse and a person is not able to function in society, he said. He added that people who are dealing with mental stresses and illness can pose a risk to themselves and others. These are the people that could potentially commit suicide or commit crimes or abuse of others, he said. Johnson concluded by saying, it is important that these stresses are dealt with [and] that behavioral health issues are assessed and treated through therapy and other interventions to allow people to live a normal life.

There are several societal factors that lead to mental health disparities in communities of color. Bell says that Blacks tend to live in neighborhoods that have poorer community services which can lead to more criminal activity. Black people tend to be the ones that get arrested for criminal [activities] such as drug use. There is also evidence that drug use can trigger serious mental illness, he said. Bell also said that African Americans have fewer opportunities for mental illness treatment. He added that high incarceration rates are also another factor for such disparities. We end up in corrections though we do probably do the same sort of stuff that other people do. Were all concentrated in one place and it is easier for the police to hunt us and catch us. Were the ones that end up being body slammed. NAMI reported that nearly half of all prisoners in the United States are African American. Prisoners are at a higher risk of developing a mental illness.

The stigma around seeking mental health care in the Black community stems from embarrassment. Bell says most Black do not seek psychiatric or psychological help because of preconceived notions. Blacks are already stereotyped as the drugs addicts, ex-convicts and criminals and they do not want to be labeled. Instead, Blacks will often seek help from clergy family members or a primary care physician but Bell says this is the wrong approach. Ministers, family physicians and family members dont have a lot of experience with psychiatric illness, he said. NAMI reported that African Americans tend to rely on family, religious and social communities for emotional support rather than turning to health care professionals.

When it comes to mental health, Blacks are less likely to receive accurate diagnoses than their white counterparts. Bell believes African Americans must not simply accept labels for mental health issues but begin to seek positivity within the community, we need to shift away from whats wrong with us mentally, psychologically and psychiatrically and we need to focus equally if not more so on whats strong with us.

For more information about Mental Health Month please log on to: www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may

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