Mental Healthcare Seeking Behavior in African-Americans

Mental health plays a vital role in how we function daily. The overall prevalence of mental illness in the United States is estimated at 21%.1 Unfortunately, people who suffer from mental illness do not always receive needed treatment. Disparities in mental healthcare are rampant and contribute to the large number of African Americans who are not treated for their mental illnesses. Differences in mental healthcare utilization between blacks and whites may play an important role in sustaining mental healthcare disparities. This paper addresses the magnitude of the problem by exploring if there is a difference in utilization of mental healthcare between African Americans and whites and further, factors that may influence potential differences in utilization.Master of Public Healt