A Person-Centered Approach to Increase the Uptake of Mental Health Services among Young Black Men

This dissertation explored young Black men’s experiences as mental health consumers. The study examined how intersecting factors such as cultural attitudes, gender norms, and developmental stage (i.e., transition to adulthood) in addition to experiences of racism affect perception of need for and uptake of mental health services among this population at elevated risk for poor health and social outcomes. Drawing on the Public Health Critical Race Framework as a conceptual model, the study explored factors that facilitate or serve as barriers to young Black men accessing and using mental health care. Semi structured interviews with 8 young Black men were analyzed with a two-step process: thematic analysis followed by an interpretative phenomenological analysis to identify both explicit and latent content. Large gaps in research remain in understanding the mechanisms for the well-recognized mental health disparities among young Black men