mental health doesn't stop or start with only depression. There are many psychological disorders affecting different ppl in different ways. Suciiced is only one way to deal with depression , substance abuse, and reckless behaviors are other ways that ppl deal with depression.
Also, black ppl are a lot less likely to seek help, or to get help. Which is caused by MANY factors, including socioeconomical as well as a poor views of mental health (stigma, etc.) that makes ppl think that they look weak if they go get help.
Another big factor is that Mental health diagnosis and treatments revolved largely around european ppl, research by and on european ppl. There isn't as much research done on other races and only up until recently as there been a large focus on cultural differences in treating and diagnosis mental health disorders.
New book calls for social workers to better address needs of black men
Black & African American Communities and Mental Health
Prevalence
According to the US HHS Office of Minority Health
[3]:
- Adult Black/African Americans are 20 percent more likely to report serious psychological distress than adult whites.
- Adult Black/African Americans living below poverty are three times more likely to report serious psychological distress than those living above poverty.
- Adult Black/African Americans are more likely to have feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness than are adult whites.
- And while Black/African Americans are less likely than white people to die from suicide as teenagers, Black/African Americans teenagers are more likely to attempt suicide than are white teenagers (8.3 percent v. 6.2 percent).
Black/African Americans of all ages are more likely to be victims of serious violent crime than are non-Hispanic whites, making them more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Black/African Americans are also twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with schizophrenia.