According to the Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities within the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans are more likely to experience a mental illness, yet less likely to seek treatment, when compared to their white counterparts. It is estimated that between 20 million and 44 million adults in this country suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Exact numbers vary, as many people do not seek treatment. Studies within the CDC have shown that minorities have less access to and availability of mental health services in their communites. Furthermore, African Americans in treatment often receive a poorer quality of mental health care and are grossly underrepresented in terms of clinical research for mental health programs, medications and services.
Historically, African American women have served as the matriarchs and backbones to their families. With that heavy responsibility also comes tremendous mental and emotional burdens, with these women often complaining about being sad, lonely, weary and empty. However, due to a lack of communication as well as a lack of cultural competency on the part of their health care providers, depression in black women is frequently misdiagnosed, and the women are dismissed as being hypertensive, worn out, tense or anxious. Rarely do African Americans display or discuss depression, nor are they comfortable with labeling their experiences as being that of depression.
Depression and anxiety disorders are two major causes of illness and death in the United States. These conditions can contribute to limited social functioning, excess disability, and reduced quality of life. Therefore, in what has been a decade in the making, the Black Infant Mortality Reduction Resource Center (BIMRRC) hosted its 10th Annual Perinatal Health Disparities Conference to bring attention to mental health, in order to make the connection of how mental disorders can affect infant mortality in the black community. The event, Improving Mental Health among Black Women, Children & Families, was held in the Oral Health Pavilion at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in Newark, on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009.
Each year, the conference takes on a different focus, as the topic of infant mortality is multi-faceted. This year, in partnership with the six Maternal/Child Health consortia of New Jersey, the Department of Health & Senior Services, the Healthcare Foundation and the University of Medicine and Dentistry - School of Nursing, a holistic approach was reviewed in order to address the mental health needs of African Americans. For the first time, we also analyzed the role of the African American father and how mental health disorders can negatively impact their ability to live up to that role.
The Black Infant Mortality Reduction Resource Center, which is an affiliate of the Northern New Jersey Maternal/Child Health Consortium, is a clearinghouse on topics related to black infant mortality. As a community education resource, BIMRRC is committed to eliminating health disparities, promoting research on the topic of black infant mortality and implementing strategies to decrease the frequency of low birth weight and pre-term infants.
For more information about the Black Infant Mortality Reduction Resource Center and the annual conference, please call (866) 665-6242 or visit our Web site at www.maternalchildhealth.org/bimr.