The African American minister as a source of help for serious personal crises: Bridge or barrier to mental health care

Using data from the National Survey of Black Americans, this article explores the role of African American ministers in the help seeking of African Americans for serious emotional problems. The authors explore which demographic characteristics and psychosocial factors are related to contacting Black clergy for help, whether certain types ofpersonal problems increase the likelihood ofclergy contact, and whether those who go to minis-ters are also likely to seek help from other professional help sources. Results indicate that women are more likely than men to seek help from ministers. People with economic problems are less likely to contact clergy, while those with death or bereavement problems are more likely to seek help from the clergy. Regardless of the type or severity ofthe problem, those who contact clergy first are less likely to seek help from other profession-als. It is recommended that African American clergy and mental health professionals engage in a mutual exchange of information to increase access to professional care among African Americans with serious per-sonal problems. National epidemiologic estimates show that while variations exist for some disorders, the prevalence of serious mental illness in African Americans is roughly equivalent to that ofWhites."2 With the exceptions of schizophrenia and phobias, the Epidemiologic Catch-ment Area (ECA) Program found roughly comparable rates of mental disorders fo