The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - The Black Community's Mental Health Treatment Crisis

Episode Date: February 9, 2020

Black people face major obstacles to mental health services, including a cultural stigma that favors church over therapy, and Roy Wood Jr. comes to Jaboukie Young-White's aid. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News,

listened to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17. The holiday season is finally upon us. And you know what that means? Family, decorations, and an old man breaking into your house while the children are asleep. I still don't understand how that's legal. But unfortunately, for a lot of people, Christmas can also be a tough time emotionally. They call it the most wonderful time of the year, but the holidays can also bring boatloads of stress.

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as festive stress. Holidays are typically the busiest time of year for mental health professionals. 64% of people experience feelings of anxiety or depression during the holidays. Yeah, it turns out the holiday season is the worst time for anxiety and depression. Which makes sense. Because think about it, you see your whole family and they're either not doing well or they're all doing better than you. Either way, it sucks. Now, one thing people can do

is book more time with their therapist. But unfortunately, that's not an option for everyone. And it's especially challenging for black people. But let's find out why that is, in another installment of, if you don't know, now you know. There are few groups who could stand to benefit from therapy more than black people. I mean, think about all the things black people have been through. Slavery, segregation, winter, all equally traumatic experiences.

But unfortunately, even as therapy has become more mainstream, the black community has had a tough time getting the help that they need. It's hard enough to get mental health treatment in the US, but studies show that racial and ethnic minorities are significantly less likely to receive mental health treatment than whites. Black and Hispanic children are less likely to get mental health care than white kids. And studies show that irritability and the average white teenager is often labeled as depression. That same behavior is more likely to be seen as disruptive in black or Latino children. And doctors say that can lead to feelings of hopelessness at a very young age.

Yes, one of the reasons many black people don't get the proper treatment is misdiagnosis. What is seen as depression in white people can be seen as disruptive behavior in black people. And this shouldn't be surprising. This kind of thing happens in medicine all the time. Mixed diagnosis. It's like when a black person has a seizure, it's a medical emergency. But when a white person does it, it's called dancing. But it turns out, it turns out, even when black people are properly diagnosed with mental health issues, it can still be a challenge to find a therapist who's equipped to handle their needs.

Making the crisis worse, not enough African-American therists. Today, only 4% of psychologists are black. Kevin Durton says admitting he needed help was actually easier than finding it. He saw three different therapists, but felt that none of them understood the stress and emotions unique to black men. When Taraji P. Henson's own son, Marcel was struggling, she found it nearly impossible to find him one. Trying to find a culturally competent therapist was like looking for a purple unicorn with a gold horn. Do they understand the cultural context from which I'm coming from?

Do they understand the culture that I live in? That's right. It's extremely difficult for black people to find a black therapist. And it's been like this for a very, very long time. I mean, that's why Martin Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther Luther their their tha, tha, tha, tha, thii, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the, the, the, thri. thi, the, the, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thin, thi, thi, thi, thin, thoooo. the. the. toe. the. thea. the. the. the. the. th to find a black therapist. And it's been like this for a very, very long time. I mean, that's why Martin Luther King Jr. was always describing his dreams to huge crowds. You know, it's just like, I had another dream that I'm being chased by bears in my underwear. Does anyone here know what that means? Now, you may think that a therapist race shouldn't mat at all. And that's true true true true true true true true true true true thue thue thue thue that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the. the. the. the. thei. thei. thei. thei. the the the the the that's that's that's that's that's that's th, you may think that a therapist's race shouldn't matter at all. And that's true, but if you think about it, it does make sense.

For many white therapists, no matter how good they are, it can be hard to understand the particular experiences of a black person. You know, just sitting there in a session, even if they're trying, it could be like, so you say people are following. their their their their their their the store and you're invisible but only to taxi drivers? Hmm, paranoid delusions. So when it comes to mental health, there's a very real struggle for black people to access health care, get diagnosed correctly, and find the therapist who can relate to them. But if that wasn't bad enough,

there's another major hurdle stopping black people from getting therapy, and it comes from the black community itself. We have a stigma in the black community when it comes to dealing with mental health. Black students say where they come from, it's shameful to talk about anxiety, depression and trauma. It's not okay to have mental health issues, or like, that's a white people thing.

I've heard all the time black men don't go to therapy, they go to the barbershop. I told my own mother that I was seeing a therapist and she said, you don't need to see a therapist. What you need to do is see a preacher. You got Jesus. You don't need anything else, you know, just buck it up. Ah, yeah, that's a line. Every black person knows. always why can't we use both? Because church is a great place for community, but therapy is great for one-on-one mental health needs. I mean I bet Jesus himself wish he could have gone to therapy at times, you know, just be like, so

my best friend betrayed me and I was born in a freaking barn. Plus my birthday always falls on Christmas, I only get one set of presents, it's so shitty! So yes, part of the problem, part of the problem is that there's a major stigma in the black community around therapy. And honestly, I can understand why many black people would rather deal with problems at church. It's a familiar place for us, right? You trust the people there. And it's also a fun atmosphere. Like therapy I was thinking. Maybe, maybe that's one way we could try and help solve this therapy

crisis. We need to make therapy a little bit more like Black Church. And I think it would be pretty dope. I don't know, it's just really hard for me to let people in. And I feel like it's probably because every time I show affection, it just feels like weakness. Uh-huh. Did y'all hear that? Did y'all hear what brother Jabuki just said right here? Brother Jabuki said that he can't show affection because it feels like weakness. But before we can understand what hurt us, you've got to understand who hurt us, who hurt your brother Jabuki? Oh, wow.

I would probably say my father. Because he was really emotionally distant, but then so was his father, which is probably where he got it from. The sins of the father. Pass down from generation to generation. And what will break this cycle, other than a reflective analysis of the egos hold on your psyche?

I need to self-actualize. You need what? Self-actualize? Self-actualize? Self-actualize. Self-actualize. Self-actualize. Self-actualize. He's going to empower himself. Overcome his demons. Deal with his forgotten memorandum.

Repression. Confront his dysfunctional avoidance of intimacy. He didn't go to prom. He didn't go to prom. He didn't go from. He didn't just true. Well, uh, we're out of time. We cannot pick this up next week. Right, thank you so much. I've just been going through a lot,

and it was really helpful to talk. Sorry. It should actually be covered. I have Blue Cross. Son, the only cross of my network is Jesus. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central Act. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central Podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. You're rolling? But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17.