African Americans and Depression: Signs, Awareness, Treatments, and Interventions - Hardcover

African Americans and Depression will help aid the reader to better understand depression within the Black family, and how and where to find help. At a time when many are screaming that #BlackLivesMatter a book like African Americans and Depression helps build the foundation for solving some of the deep-rooted issues within the African American household. * Make a Statement Entertainment * This book will help readers follow practical steps in their journey to triumph over the "blues" and mental health despair. Beautifully written, it also sensitizes clergy, health, and mental health providers to develop more culturally competent understanding of and practice with African Americans with depression. This book is destined to be a treasured resource for hope and assistance. -- Katharine Briar-Lawson, University at Albany This is the book that I have been waiting for! African Americans and Depression combines the best of a self-help book, a resource for therapist, and the social, political and economic context for depression which is essential for African Americans living with clinical depression. Accessible, informative and challenging, African Americans and Depression invites clinicians to widen our lens and track the external forces which trigger and maintain depressive states in our clients. A client once told me that her challenge was dealing with her oppression and her depression. This book provides crucial information to address clinical depression in the context of oppression. -- Vanessa Jackson, LCSW, author of In Our Own Voice: African American Stories of Oppression, Survival and Recovery in Mental Health Systems; Therapist in Private Practice, Atlanta, GA

Depression does not discriminate, and yet the ways in which people and communities view and react to depression differ. The unique experiences of African Americans are often taken into account when examining other topics of interest, but mental health in general is often overlooked. African Americans and Depression helps to uncover the realities of depression among African Americans, and the various ways in which sufferers and their families address, or don't address, it. The authors provide guidance for understanding the illness, suggestions on how to heal and recover holistically, and pathways for getting help. With a primary focus on the psychological and medical needs of African Americans, the authors explore and offer an overview of clinical depression among African Americans, discuss the signs of and cultural myths surrounding clinical depression, outline the mental health help-seeking process for African Americans, and suggest potential barriers and strategies for healing. Further, they discuss community-based interventions and innovations in service programs. Lastly, the authors offer insight on mental health and health policy in the United States care systems. Including firsthand accounts from sufferers and families, this work will aid readers to better understand depression and how and where to find help.