Mental Health in Black America

This volume details the self-reported stress of being Black in the United States, and documents the cultural resources African Americans draw upon to overcome adversity and maintain a positive, healthy perspective on life.

Based on data obtained from a United States National Survey of Black Americans, the book first discusses psychological and sociological factors affecting life satisfaction. Contributors then explore how these psychosocial factors contribute to such health problems as alcoholism and hypertension. The volume concludes with an examination of strategies Black Americans use in their attempt to solve life problems. These include: prayer; avoidance; active problem-solving; and seeking help from family, community

Celebrating the resilience of African Americans and their ability to cope with stress in the face of prejudice and discrimination, Mental Health in Black America explores how the quality of life among black Americans relates to behavioral health problems and diseases and examines the strategies blacks use to cope with the problems they face living in the United States. This unique edited volume details the self-reported stress of being black in America while documenting the cultural resources African Americans draw upon to overcome adversity and maintain a positive, healthy perspective on life. Beginning with a discussion of black life satisfaction and the broad psychological and sociological factors that affect it, contributors focus on how psychosocial factors contribute to such health problems as alcoholism and hypertension. Concluding with a thorough look at how blacks attempt to solve life problems, this volume highlights such strategies as prayer, avoidance, and active problem solving, as well as help-seeking from others such as family, community mental health providers, and law enforcement agencies. Mental Health in Black America is an insightful, informative volume that will help students and professionals in the fields of ethnic studies, psychology, social work, and public policy gain a clearer understanding and appreciation of the psychological dimension of the African American experience in the United States.