When looking at communities of color, there are often harsh stigmas against mental health. New research has shown that students of color are much less likely to ask for help when they’re stressed or coping with other mental health concerns than white students. Two organizations, The Jed Foundation, which works with colleges on suicide prevention, and the Steve Fund, which works to enhance the emotional well-being of young people of color, released data from a Harris Poll taken in 2015. The survey was conducted with 1,502 students aged 17 to 20, and the results showed that black and Hispanic students were more likely to feel overwhelmed in college, but they are also more likely than white students to keep their mental health concerns to themselves.
The poll also revealed that white students were more likely than their black and Hispanic classmates to feel both academically and emotionally prepared for college. White students were also twice as likely to be treated for various mental health issues compared to black and Hispanic students.
Ebony McGee, a researcher at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College who has studied Black students’ mental health concerns said, “This speaks to the fact that Black folks have been talking about this pain and suffering for a long time now, and the typical response is, ‘It’s all in your head,’ or ‘You need to suck it up.'” These responses can often silence young people of color, as their mental health concerns are not legitimized by others.
In addition, students of color are statistically more likely to be first-generation college students or come from low-income backgrounds. As a result, students coming from these backgrounds may be able to have access to counseling services for the first time, when they arrive at college, which could be one reason they aren’t as likely to take advantage of such resources, since the resources are unfamiliar to them.
The stigma against mental health among people of color has become more prevalent recently in mainstream media. For example, we see the character of Andre, who has bipolar disorder, in the show Empire. His father Lucious oftentimes rejects the idea of his son having bipolar disorder and shames Andre by keeping his son’s disorder a secret. On the outside, Andre can be perceived as a parent’s ideal child; he’s hardworking, wants to make his parents proud, and has a ivy league degree. However, Andre shows that these seemingly perfect traits do not make him immune to mental health disorders.
Oftentimes at Duke, and at many other universities, there are students of color who appear to be picture perfect like Andre, and it seems that these students are skyrocketing to more success with every passing day. This image is an idealized picture of the experience, as everyone deals with mental trauma at some point in their lives. The discussion of making mental health conversations a norm is honorable; however, there must be an emphasis on ensuring that students of color specifically understand that their environment considers their mental health important.
In 2015, the list of “Demands of Black Voices” at Duke University included greater emphasis on mental health. The demands for greater emphasis on mental health included CAPS mental health professionals who would be representative of the cultural and racial diversity on Duke’s campus, and STINF forms that would include mental health trauma and debilitating conditions in the list of incapacitations that allow excused absences from class.
However, not much has changed nationwide. There is still a stigma attached to mental health, especially in communities of color, and until this is addressed, students of color will continue to not receive the treatment they deserve to thrive. With the racial barriers students of color already face, lack of mental health treatment does not need to be another barrier for us. As students of color, we should be proactive in our mental health, seeking help when we personally need it, and helping each other to ensure that we are all taken care of.
Maram Elnagheed is a Trinity sophomore. Her column, "here we go again," usually runs on alternate Mondays.
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Maram Elnagheeb is a Trinity sophomore. Her column, "here we go again," runs on alternate Tuesdays.