The stigma attached to mental illness creates a barrier for many seeking treatment, but it has a particularly negative impact on the help-seeking behaviors of black Americans, according to a recent study.<\/p>\n
Rosalyn Denise Campbell, an assistant professor in the UGA School of Social Work, advocates for removing that stigma and fostering intervention that increases mental health service use and overall wellness.<\/p>\n
The socio-cultural barriers to seeking mental health services, which Campbell said are often rooted in the history and identity of being black in America, is an emerging theme in her research.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause African-Americans are already marginalized, there is no rush to adopt another marginalized, stigmatizing identity,\u201d she said. \u201cThere is a lot to lose with accepting a mental health diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pervasive misunderstanding of mental illness also contributes to the power of the stigma, she said, often due to a lack of education regarding what depression is and is not. Her research suggests depression is often seen as a weakness or a temporary condition, rather than the illness it is.<\/p>\n
As part of that contextualization, Campbell makes a point to discuss her own experiences with mental illness, and said it\u2019s a key component of her mission to de-stigmatize it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only way to combat stigma is to take its power away, and you take its power away by talking about it and disclosing it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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