Category Archives: Health

Changing the Conversation Around Mental Health & Mental Illness

0 comments Health, Mental Health , , , ,

Mental Health Awareness Month As the last day of May quickly approaches, bringing with it an end to Mental Health Awareness month, I have been reflecting on what we need to do to promote positive mental health and destigmatize mental illness in this country. We need to incorporate mental health into the fabric of our lives, improve access to preventative mental health services and treatment, and eliminate stigma. Distinguishing Mental Health and Mental Illness Mental health and mental illness, terms often used interchangeably, are quite different. We ALL have mental health, and we must all nurture, cultivate, and protect it. […]

Read More

Suicide While Black

0 comments Children's Mental Health, Family, Health, Health Education, Mental Health, Racism, Social Justice

Sound the alarm Black children are in danger. From trauma to poverty to educational inequality to racism, our children face very real threats to their mental health every day. I distinctly remember being taught during my psychiatric residency training that black people don’t typically die by suicide; but sadly, this just isn’t true. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10 – 34 years of age. For black youth, suicide is on the rise. In 2015, Jeffrey Bridge et al. discovered that suicide rates among […]

Read More

Is It Just Me?

4 comments Health, Healthy Living, Motherhood , , , , ,

The new normal There has been no school since March 16, and homeschooling formally began April 6 for our family. The hubby and I have been working from home almost every day since March 16. Yet, it feels like day #431,986 of Quarantine 2020. Undoubtedly, there are many wonderful things for which I am grateful like – my health and well-being; that my husband and my children are home with me; that I can work from home and continue to provide financially for my family; that no one in my house or immediate or extended family has been diagnosed with […]

Read More

Sick While Black: An Exploration of Health Disparities

2 comments Health, Social Justice , , , ,

News to some, a well-known reality for people of color It’s been said that when white people catch a cold, black people catch pneumonia. This adage painfully illustrates the striking contrast between the health and well-being of whites compared to that of African Americans. When black people get sick, they don’t just get sick but have more serious symptoms and a greater risk of dying from illness. Recent health statistics substantiate this saying. Startling statistics In 2017, the average life expectancy for whites was 78.5 years compared to 74.9 years for African Americans. Infant mortality refers to the death of […]

Read More