Lindsey Michael A, Joe Sean, Nebbitt Von
University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA.
J Black Psychol. 2010 Nov 1;36(4):458-482. doi: 10.1177/0095798409355796.
African American adolescent boys underutilize mental health service due to stigma associated with depression. Gaining an increased understanding of how depressed, African American adolescent boys perceive their mental health needs and engage in help-seeking behaviors might play an essential role in efforts to improve their symptoms and access to care. Using a mixed-methods design, this study examined the influence of mental health stigma and social support on depressive symptoms among African American adolescent boys. Findings indicated the protective effects of social support in decreasing depressive symptoms, especially when participants experienced mental health stigma. Results also revealed the pivotal role of family social support over both professional and peer support for participants who struggled with depressive symptoms. The primacy of family support among the sample, combined with the frequent distrust of professionals and peer networks, would indicate that working with families may improve initial identification of depression among African American adolescent boys and decrease their barriers to care.
非裔美国青少年男性因与抑郁症相关的耻辱感而未充分利用心理健康服务。深入了解抑郁的非裔美国青少年男性如何看待自己的心理健康需求以及如何寻求帮助的行为，可能对改善他们的症状和获得护理的机会起着至关重要的作用。本研究采用混合方法设计，考察了心理健康耻辱感和社会支持对非裔美国青少年男性抑郁症状的影响。研究结果表明，社会支持在减轻抑郁症状方面具有保护作用，尤其是当参与者经历心理健康耻辱感时。结果还揭示了家庭社会支持对于那些与抑郁症状作斗争的参与者而言，比专业支持和同伴支持更为关键。样本中家庭支持的首要地位，再加上对专业人士和同伴网络的频繁不信任，这表明与家庭合作可能会改善对非裔美国青少年男性抑郁症的早期识别，并减少他们获得护理的障碍。
