Overlooked and Underserved: The Mental Health Crisis of Black Women

By Dr. Malaika M. Brown

he black woman is often considered the backbone of the black community and more specifically the black church. We often see black athletes thanking their mothers when they achieve a major milestone. On the surface, it seems like the black woman is revered T Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA) to feeling sad, hopeless and apprehensive about life. Seeking professional care is not always an option, especially in the black church. The lack of African American psychologists, a very low 4% among all but the story told by the group does not align. In 2018 providers, black women are overwhelmed because they studies, the black woman made up 60% of the black cannot find professionals who understand their unique population. It has also been found in other studies that lived experiences. There is also the misguided belief that women in the black church make up almost 80% of the mental health care is contradictive to faith that must be population. But even with an overwhelming presence in contended with as well. society and the church, the black woman and her issues are often overlooked. Many black women admit to being With challenges such as lack of cultural competency in exhausted, anxious and overwhelmed with how they providers, financial concerns, lack of access to evidenceare perceived by others in and out of the community, based medications and being poorly understood in balancing all the roles and tasks they do daily and the treatment circles, black women now have to be creative lack of support they receive. These issues reached a fever in addressing their mental health. Seeking out care from pitch during 2020. graduate students in training to become psychologists or clinics that offer free or sliding scale fees can be a viable COVID-19 has exposed a pre-existing condition in the option for receiving quality care that doesn’t break the population of black women. Mental health among this group bank. Also, some DIY approaches to mental health care has been challenged due to a variety of factors, such as “the can go a long way. As women, before taking on any strong black woman syndrome,” racial issues, the stigma of the various roles occupied for the day, ease into the of seeking mental health services and navigating all of the day by starting with 10 minutes of prayer, meditation or unique roles that they occupy. The pandemic did not create gratitude journaling. Forming a sister circle with other these conditions, but it metastasized them. As if that wasn’t black women to uplift and empower can be another enough, 2020 as a year leveled many women, who had to indigenous form of healing. Additionally, sleep is an deal with worrying about jobs, meeting financial obligations, often-neglected necessity. Sleep is directly linked to how their children will be educated from home, losing loved mental health and getting at least seven to eight quality ones and not being able to properly remember them. Black hours of sleep a night goes a long way. women have admitted that the pandemic only intensified what they were already experiencing, and the disconnection Malaika M. Brown, Ph.D. physically and socially left them feeling helpless because they Clinician | Educator | Motivator | Author were no longer able to avoid their issues. | Podcaster Author of the upcoming book Free As members of a larger group that already suffers with Indeed: 30-day Guide on the Journey societal stigma surrounding mental illness, black women to Forgiveness face additional challenges with getting the support www.malaikambrown.com that they need. Among black adults, only about 30% Bethlehem Temple Community Church, Fontana, CA access mental health care for treatable conditions, (Dr. Margie Garrett, Pastor) compared to 48% among white adults. Black women Southern California District Council particularly have reported in studies conducted by the

Recipe Page

Mt. Calvary Pentecostal Church

Youngstown, Ohio Suffragan Bishop C. Shawn Tyson, Pastor Elder Joseph Bowers, Director of Culinary Services

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk 1 tsp. vinegar 1 tsp. baking soda 1 One oz. bottle red cake coloring 2 cups of sugar 2 eggs (room temperature) 1 ½ cup of Wesson Oil 2 ½ cup of cake flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla 1 Cp chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour three 8 or 9 inch round inch cake pans. 2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. 3. Using a mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined and a smooth batter is formed. 4. Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. 5. Remove cakes from oven and invert them onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely. 6. Frost the cake and sprinkle the chopped pecans between the layers and over the top of the cake.

Icing

1 box confectionary sugar 1 Stick of Butter (Softened) 1 8oz Cream Cheese (Softened) 1 tsp Vanilla Mix all ingredients until combined.

Messias Temple Church

Ypsilanti, Mi Bishop Harry S. Grayson, Pastor

Messias Temple Culinary Staff Elois Todd Marsha Lathion Carrie Glenn Mona Smith Marion Brown Peeples Dale Smith

Five Flavor Cake

Ingredients

1 cup butter ½ c unsalted butter flavored Crisco 5 eggs well beaten 3 cups cake flour 3 cups granulated sugar ½ ts baking powder 1/3 ts salt 1 cup whole milk 1ts coconut flavoring/extract 1ts rum flavoring/extract 1ts pineapple flavoring/extract 1ts pure lemon extract 1ts pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Cream butter and Crisco together with mixer. Add sugar to butter mixture until fluffy. Add eggs until well combined. Combine dry ingredients together and add alternately with milk to sugar and egg mixture. Beat until well combined on medium speed. Add in all the flavoring and extracts until well combined.

Bake at 325 degrees in greased and floured 10 inch Bundt or 10 cup tube pan for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Glaze after completely cooled.

Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon whole milk (additional if need for consistency) To a small bowl, add confectioners’ sugar, milk and whisk to combine. Evenly drizzle glaze down the sides of the cake before serving.

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