#BlackGirlsTalk: A Pilot Program to Raise Awareness about Depression among African-American Women in Baltimore, MD Open Access
Gitukui, Stephanie (Spring 2019)
Abstract
Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S and the second most common cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost from ages 15-44. It causes severe symptoms that affect how one feels and thinks, interfering with their ability to carry out daily activities such as sleeping, eating, working or studying. Some symptoms of depression include persistent sadness or emptiness, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, loss of interest in hobbies, decreased energy or fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and difficulty sleeping. It is projected that by 2030, depression will be among the top three leading causes of burden of disease. African Americans make up approximately 13% of the U.S. population, yet they account for 18.6% of those affected by mental illness. On the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, 34.7% of African American adults reported poor mental health status. Despite these findings, African-Americans are least likely to receive treatment for depression and other mental illnesses. African-American women, in particular, are among the most undertreated groups for depression in the country. They are at a higher risk for developing mental illness and have a higher prevalence of depression than men. Through a tailored, public health education campaign, the #BlackGirlsTalk program seeks to address some of the individual and systemic-level barriers to help-seeking among this population. These barriers, which will be further described later in this application, include stigma, cultural beliefs and attitudes, stereotypes, preferred coping strategies, and lack of awareness/knowledge. Education campaigns targeting the African American community should address common depression- and treatment-related beliefs using culturally appropriate images and language. Additionally, funding from this grant will be used to enhance the mobile application, “The Safe Place”, which is a mental health tool designed to educate and raise awareness about mental illness in the African American community. We will build a database into the application that will allow users to locate African American therapists in Maryland, increasing awareness about culturally appropriate psychotherapy services that are available.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter I: Introduction 1
Introduction 1
Problem Statement 2
Program Description and Purpose 3
Program Objectives 4
Theoretical Framework 5
Significance Statement 8
Definition of Key Terms 9
Chapter II: Literature Review 11
Historical Barriers and the Legacy of Distrust 11
History of Medical Experimentation on African Americans 12
History of Racism and Racial Bias in Mental Health 13
Individual-Level Barriers 15
Stigma 15
Cultural Beliefs and Attitudes 16
The “Strong Black Woman” Stereotype (SBW) 16
Preferred Coping Strategies (Faith, Spirituality, and Community) 17
Lack of Knowledge or Awareness 18
Economic Barriers 18
Systemic Barriers 19
Insufficient Number of African American Providers 19
Cultural Competence and Clinical Bias 20
Use of Culturally Inappropriate Assessments 21
Chapter III: Methodology 22
Review of Relevant Funding Agencies 22
Summary of Grant Announcement 24
Grant Review Criteria and Process 25
Description of Grant Proposal 25
Daniel (Dan) C. Rutz, MPH 25
Iris E. Smith, MPH, PhD 26
Chantea Williams, PhD 26
Mahlet Endale, PhD. 27
Tene T. Lewis, PhD 27
Chapter IV: Reviewer Comments 28
Reviewer 1 Comments 28
Reviewer 2 Comments 31
Reviewer 3 Comments 35
Reviewer 4 Comments 37
Reviewer 5 Comments 40
Chapter V: Final Grant Proposal 42
References 76
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#BlackGirlsTalk: A Pilot Program to Raise Awareness about Depression among African-American Women in Baltimore, MD () | 2019-04-23 04:30:06 -0400 |
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