“We believe that issues like access to proper care, the stigma of mental health problems and insurance status may be contributing factors to African-American girls suffering from depression being less likely to receive the necessary treatment,” says Franko, a professor of counseling and applied psychology. “This is clearly an area that needs to be investigated further.”
Franko and her colleagues also theorize that the different ways Black and White girls view their bodies may contribute to the difference in depression rates between the two groups. Young White teenagers tend to be unhappy with their bodies, leading many to show symptoms of depression early on. As they get older and become more satisfied with their shapes, their level of depression decreases.
Conversely, most Black girls accept their bodies in their early teens and early adulthood. Because there is no drop off in depression levels as their bodies change, the depression rate among Black women remains steady.
The sample of Franko’s study looked at 1,146 Black and 1,075 White girls. The girls were participants in the decade-long National Growth and Health Study, conducted between 1987 and 1998.
— Diverse staff reports
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
