Debunking Myths Around Men's Mental Health In BIPOC Communities

By: Reginald Lemelle

Traditionally, mental health access has been limited within BIPOC populations. However, as the importance of mental health becomes more widespread within the BIPOC community, it is imperative to continue to shed light at this issue. November is Men’s Health Awareness Month. Society places pressure on men to be not show any weakness, be tough, avoid emotions, etc. For BIPOC men, this pressure is exacerbated by common misconceptions.

Here are some of the myths surrounding mental health within BIPOC men:

1. Mental health problems indicate weakness: Mental health are not a sign of

weakness. Mental health issues may arise from biological, environmental, and social

factors as well as trauma. Racism, discrimination macro and micro-aggressions all increase stress levels in BIPOC populations which can lead to poor mental health.

2. Boys and men of hesitate to engage in mental health services: Boys and

men of color are less likely to receive mental health treatment due to lack

of access, lack of insurance, lower socioeconomic status, and stigma. Rates of

colored men and boys that have access to proper insurance is lower overall than within

Caucasian population.

3. BIPOC Boys and Men bottle up their emotions and suffer in silence: Not all men

bottle up their emotions, and overgeneralizing men as holistically not wanting to experience

and process their emotions is harmful and stigmatizing. Men of color may express their emotions in more subdued and indirect ways

4. Boys and men of color need to ask for help to receive mental health treatment:

Putting pressure on BIOPC men to express this need adds more stress on top of what

they are already facing.

Although it is helpful to encourage men to voice their need for mental health assistance, clinicians should improve their skills to better identify signs that men may be struggling. Mental health professionals should be able to identify non-traditional symptoms of stress and mental health in men and boys. They may benefit from mental health services including therapy. Qualified licensed mental health professionals experienced in working with BIPOC populations and specializing in areas such as Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), EMDR (for trauma) can be helpful.