Information You Should Be Aware That..
CHILDREN & TEENS
- Black and Latinx children were about 14% less likely than White youth to receive treatment for their depression.
- Approximately 50% to 75% of youth in the juvenile justice system meet the criteria for a mental health disorder.
- Over 25% of Black youth exposed to violence have proven to be at high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Approximately 10% of White and Hispanic adolescents engaged in alcohol use, compared to 7.3% for Black adolescents and 4.7% for Asian adolescents.
- In 2018, a study found that the suicide rate of Black children 5 to 12 was nearly twice that of White children of the same age.
- In 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death for Black or African Americans, ages 15 to 24. For Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders ages 15-24, suicide was the leading cause of death.
- Self-reported suicide attempts rose nearly 80% among Black adolescents from 1991 to 2019, while the prevalence of attempts did not change significantly among those of other races and ethnicities.
- Adolescents of color who identify as LGBTQ may be especially at risk of a suicide attempt.
- Black children and adolescents who died by suicide were more likely than White youths to have experienced a crisis during the two weeks before they died.
ADULTS
- Individuals identifying as being two or more races (24.9%) are most likely to report having a mental health disorder within the past year than any other race or ethnic group, followed by American Indian/Alaska Natives (22.7%), White (19%), and Black (16.8%)
- Black American adults are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems, such as major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder.
- Although rates of depression are lower in Blacks (24.6%) and Hispanics (19.6%) than in Whites (34.7%), depression in Blacks and Hispanics is likely to be more disabling and persistent.
- In 2018, Asian Americans were 60% less likely and Hispanic Americans 50% less likely to have received mental health treatment than non-Hispanic Whites.
- American Indians/Alaskan Natives report higher post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence rates than any other ethnic or racial group.
- According to a 2019 study, African Americans have the highest lifetime prevalence of PTSD (8.7%) compared to their white (7.4%), Latino (7%) and Asian (4%) counterparts.
HOMELESSNESS & HOUSING
- Black Americans living below the federal poverty guidelines are as likely to report serious psychological stress as those living 2x above the poverty level.
- The Black community comprises approximately 40% of the homeless population, 50% of the prison population, and 45% of children in the foster care system.