The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine will explore mental health in the African American community as part of Black History Month events.
The event, part of the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging series, will be held on Feb. 6 at noon and is available in person or virtually.
The in-person event will be held at 2 Riverside Circle in Roanoke.
Registration for the event is required.
The event will feature:
- Azziza Bankole, professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine and chief diversity officer at the medical school
- Daniel Brooks, licensed clinical social worker and owner of Motivate the Game, a Roanoke-based company that coaches athletes in sports as well as mental health
Stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community often leads to many who are suffering not reaching out for help.
“In a culture where there is a lot of trauma, anything that makes you look weak is seen as something that needs to be hidden,” said Bankole. “Consequently, suicide rates have grown at a higher rate for Black adolescent boys than white adolescent boys.”
Trauma, Bankole said, may include things like poverty, segregation, discrimination, housing issues, environmental pollution and disparities in education.
“We also know that children who have adverse childhood experiences have a higher likelihood of developing mental health disorders later in life.”
According to experts, the mental health stigma is growing because the needs among the Black community have grown.
“If trauma is experienced long enough, individuals begin to cope with mental health in ways that are not healthy. These become learned behaviors over the years,” said Brooks.
The purpose of the presentation will be to encourage those who need help to get help right away. Bankole and Brooks will also discuss treatments and how to seek help.
“By delaying getting help, the more difficult treatment can be,” Bankole said.
If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org
For local mental health resources, visit AFP’s Project Mental Health page.
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Crystal Graham
