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African Americans and Mental Health

Practical and Strategic Solutions to Barriers, Needs, and Challenges

  • Book
  • © 2021

Overview

Editors:
  1. Mary Olufunmilayo Adekson

    1. Mary Olufunmilayo Adekson, Faith Diversity Consulting, Lynchburg, USA

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  • Is authored by mostly African American professional counselor educators who examine this unique population's mental health

  • Explores the needs, challenges, and diagnosis issues that are common factors within the African American population

  • Aims to help African Americans live wholistically

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Table of contents (14 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxv
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  2. Who Are African Americans?

    • Beverly J. O’Bryant
    Pages 1-12

  3. Identifying Barriers and Access to Mental Health Care for African Americans

    • LaTonya M. Summers, Lyndon P. Abrams, Henry L. Harris
    Pages 13-21

  4. Challenges Mostly Unique to African Americans

    • Clewiston D. Challenger, Timothy Eng
    Pages 23-30

  5. African American Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities

    • Brittany L. Dennis
    Pages 31-38

  6. Mental Health Challenges Unique to African American Children and Adolescents

    • Kimberly N. Frazier
    Pages 39-46

  7. Diagnosis Issues with African Americans

    • Jacqueline R. Smith
    Pages 47-56

  8. Culture of Family Togetherness, Emotional Resilience, and Spiritual Lifestyles Inherent in African Americans from the Time of Slavery Until Now

    • Fawn T. Robinson, Quiana Golphin
    Pages 57-66

  9. The Trauma of Being an African American in the Twenty-First Century

    • Keith Dempsey
    Pages 67-75

  10. Training, Recruiting, and Retaining African American Mental Health Professionals

    • Jude T. Austin II, Julius A. Austin
    Pages 77-87

  11. The Mental Health Needs of Some Unique Groups Among African American Populations

    • Julius A. Austin, Jude T. Austin II
    Pages 89-97

  12. Roads for African Americans to Live Enhanced and Improved Mentally Healthy Lives

    • Ariel Encalade Mitchell
    Pages 99-104

  13. Solutions-Oriented Intervention Models for African American Mental Health

    • Denise Gilstrap
    Pages 105-114

  14. Practical Strategic Improvements for African American Mental Health

    • Nivischi N. Edwards, Shauna Thompson, Lynn Bohecker
    Pages 115-124

  15. Treatment Strategies and Healing Related to African American Mental Health

    • Victoria D. Austin
    Pages 125-134

  16. Back Matter

    Pages 135-145
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Keywords

About this book

This book enumerates the unique challenges, barriers, needs, and trauma of being an African American in the United States, and at the same time highlights what needs to be done to improve and foster the mental health healing of this population. This includes practical applications and strategic solutions that work, such as the family togetherness and ardent spiritual beliefs that form the basis for resilient and vibrant mental health among African Americans. 


This contributed volume features the authorship of counseling professionals, most of whom are African American themselves. Because of their own personal experiences, they are able to emphasize cogent helping strategies for this population, to show how to move forward with encouragement. The book also highlights ways to promote life that is mentally healthy and holistic for African Americans.


Topics covered within the chapters include:
  • Mental Health Challenges Unique to African American Children and Adolescents
  • Diagnosis Issues with African Americans 
  • Culture of Family Togetherness, Emotional Resilience, and Spiritual Lifestyles Inherent in African Americans from the Time of Slavery Until Now 
  • The Trauma of Being an African American in the 21st Century 
  • Training, Recruiting, and Retaining African American Mental Health Professionals

African Americans and Mental Health: Practical and Strategic Solutions to Barriers, Needs, and Challenges is an essential resource for helping professionals who work with this population, including psychiatrists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, and other mental health professionals. The book also should be of interest to researchers, instructors, and students in Counseling, Social Work, and Psychology.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Mary Olufunmilayo Adekson, Faith Diversity Consulting, Lynchburg, USA

    Mary Olufunmilayo Adekson

About the editor

Mary Olufunmilayo Adekson, PhD has authored two books and one book chapter. She has edited The Handbook of Counseling and Counselor Education and Beginning your Counseling Career: Graduate Preparation and Beyond, and also has edited the current volume, African Americans and Mental Health: Practical and Strategic Solutions to Barriers, Needs, and Challenges. Mary also has published numerous articles related to traditional healing and counseling to date. Mary obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, where she was also a visiting undergraduate student at Harvard University.  She got her Master of Education degree from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, and obtained her doctoral degree in Counselor Education from Ohio University in Athens.  She was the program director of the Counselor Education Department at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York, during the 2011 to 2012 academic year.  Mary retired from St. Bonaventure University as a tenured faculty member in June 2014.  She occasionally writes commentaries and articles on related aspects of indigenous healing and counseling in different journals.  Mary also writes Christian books to inspire, teach, and encourage young, old and newly converted believers in Christ.  She currently is the Chief Executive Officer of Faith Diversity Consulting.






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