Expert explains importance of mental health treatment for Black Americans during pandemic
WASHINGTON (7News) — The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on our physical and mental well-being. And nowhere is this more apparent than in minority communities.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2021 shows Black and Hispanic people were twice as likely to die from COVID-19 and nearly three times as likely to be hospitalized with the disease than whites.
Local therapist Dr. Princess Souvenir says she has seen a lot of stress in minority communities.
"Our practice alone has seen about a 300% increase from this time the year before," Souvenir stated.
SEE ALSO | New conservative target: Race as factor in COVID treatment
Souvenir says there is a stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community, from a fear of being judged to being thought of as crazy. She says there's also a religious component that has prevented many African Americans from seeking mental health treatment.
"Historically Black people found refuge in our community, and our religious communities, our religious organizations. And so when you take away the ability to have that community, that village, the church, it became very isolating," said Souvenir.
Souvenir says many Black people have ignored the importance of their mental health and avoided seeking treatment.
"So mood disorders, anxiety, depression, but also we're seeing people saying I'm having this life transition, or I'm feeling a sense of isolation, or my spouse and I are spending more time together because we're both working at home and we want to work through some of our communication challenges," she said.
Dr. Souvenir's husband, Micah Wiedemann, was having difficulty dealing with the isolation of being at home due to COVID -- And even though he'd never gone to a therapist before, he decided to give it a try.
Wiedemann said, "It was not something that my family ever did. And it wasn't something I ever thought about until the last couple of years probably with coronavirus and everything that happened around that. Just being home and dealing with those kinds of things really pushed me in that direction."
When asked if he had any reservations about seeking mental health therapy, he had this to say, "one of my good friends told me - there doesn't have to be something wrong with you to want to talk to somebody. You can just go talk to somebody... And having another Black man tell me - hey it's ok - you can go - there's nothing wrong with that - really kind of helped me get over that stigma."
Micah says even though he's feeling better, his therapy is ongoing. He says he would recommend it to anyone who just needs to talk it out.
Souvenir says it's important to reach out to minority communities. She suggests partnering with non-profits since they have good insight into the gaps in the system and the best ways to help.
She says the goal of therapy is really to help you to become a better version of yourself.
