Aftermath Of Buffalo Shooting Highlights Black Americans’ Poor Mental Health Care

Green Bay Press-Gazette:
Buffalo Shooting Exposes Lack Of Mental Health In Black Community

Michael Vinson was surprised to feel his heart pounding while shopping at his local grocery store on Sunday afternoon. Yet, there he stood in the store he knew so well, scanning the walls for exit signs. Vinson wasn’t in any immediate danger, but being Black while grocery shopping ended in bloodshed for 13 people at a Tops Friendly Markets supermarket in Buffalo, New York, on Saturday. Ten people lost their lives. “Unexpectedly, I felt a rush of fear and a need for self-protection. I started to look for the exits,” Vinson, sales director at Schreiber Foods in Green Bay, told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Monday. “What’s happening in the broader world impacts the way that I show up in the world where I do live. (Ellbert and Lynch, 5/18)

Philadelphia Inquirer:
How The Buffalo Mass Shooting Raises The Stress And Trauma Of Black Philadelphians

Incidents of violence against Black people have made it into the therapy sessions Charlotte Andrews holds in Elkins Park — no matter where they’d happened in the nation. “I noticed that there’s a significant amount of anxiety, fear, anger,” said the therapist, recalling the emotions Black patients expressed after police killings, such as the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. “People bring it with them. People are carrying it with them.” (Gutman, 5/17)

WHYY:
After Buffalo Shooting, Mental Health Professionals Advise Taking A Break From The News. For Black Americans, That’s Easier Said Than Done

Experiencing forms of racial violence is a burden that many Black Americans carry over generations. Last week’s shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, is the latest example. For clinical psychologist Dr. Ariane Thomas, explaining this racist mass shooting to her 12-year-old son conjures past feelings of frustration. “I want him to be able to have some freedom and lightness and joy,” said Thomas, who is also a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. “And yet, I have to have more conversations that I should never have to have with him about realities he should never have to face.” (Biddle, 5/17)

Chicago Defender:
Racism And The Impact On The Mental Health Of Black Men 

The conversation surrounding mental health in the Black community has increased over the years with the increased number of police-related killings, the COVID-19 pandemic, and more awareness and understanding surrounding the trauma that one experiences just by being black in America. Statistically, Black men are less likely to report mental and psychological issues. According to a 2021 study by the American Psychological Association, less than 30% of Black men who experienced daily feelings of anxiety or depression were likely to use mental health services. In addition, when Black men seek help, they find it difficult to find Black psychologists or culturally sensitive mental health practitioners. Distrust and Implicit bias by medical providers, lack of access to quality mental health services combined with socio-economic factors also prove as barriers for Black men seeking treatment or care. (Sanders, 5/17)

In related news about the Buffalo shooting —

The New York Times:
911 Dispatcher May Be Fired Over Handling Of Buffalo Shooting Call 

An emergency services dispatcher in Buffalo could be fired after being accused by a supermarket employee of hanging up on a 911 call during a racist shooting rampage at the store last week. The dispatcher was placed on administrative leave on Monday after an internal investigation and faces a disciplinary hearing on May 30, at which “termination will be sought,” Peter Anderson, a spokesman for the Erie County executive, said. (Shanahan, 5/18)

And the White House puts a spotlight on mental health —

Roll Call:
White House Turns Focus To Youth Mental Health 

For Jazmine Wildcat, a young member of the Northern Arapaho tribe in Wyoming, finding a therapist who understood her struggles was difficult. “Where I’m from, on the reservation, it’s not very talked about,” she said Wednesday, with tears in her eyes, during an event at the White House focused on the nation’s youth mental health crisis. “I’ve been to way too many funerals, and so I took the liberty to really, you know, say this isn’t OK.” On Wednesday, Wildcat was not alone. (Raman, 5/18)

In other mental health news —

ABC News:
America’s Mental Health Care Deserts: Where Is It Hard To Access Care? 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and two years into a global pandemic that has highlighted the need for increased access to mental health care, 570 counties across the United States still have no psychologists, psychiatrists or counselors. They’re known as mental health care deserts. (Livingston and Green, 5/18)

CNBC:
Americans Are Stressed About Money And Finances, Hurting Mental Health

Americans are more stressed about money than they’ve ever been, according to the American Psychological Association’s latest Stress In America Survey. “Eighty-seven percent of Americans said that inflation and the rising costs of everyday goods is what’s driving their stress,” said Vaile Wright, senior director of health care innovation at the American Psychological Association. More than 40% of U.S. adults say money is negatively impacting their mental health, according to Bankrate’s April 2022 Money and Mental Health report. (Morabito, 5/18)