Jun 01, 2020
Visibility is a hard thing to have to fight for as a teenager. The pressures of social hierarchy are thrust on their radar at an increasingly young age. A young Black teenager, fighting the varying messages trying to grab her attention, is also subject to a different set of rules compared to her white or Latinx classmates. She’s got a lot to think about. But if she grows up in a culture that prioritizes strength over health, she can suffer at the hands of the village that is supposed to raise her. Young Black men are no stranger to stereotypes and labels, either.
Teen suicide rates increase at an average of nine percent per year, and suicide has officially replaced homicide as the second leading cause of death for Black teens age 15-24, according to the Department of HHS Office of Minority Health. What can healthcare providers and parents of Black teens do to meet adolescents halfway and support them in taking care of their mental health?
Experts say the stereotypes surrounding Black life and stigmas attached to mental health care are at the root of the problem.
Source: Sheknows.com
