Date
5-22-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Walter Thomas
Keywords
Mental Health, Depression, Help-seeking, Experiences
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
Clemons, Shanard C., "Mental Health Help-Seeking Experiences of African American Men Battling Depression" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5625.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5625
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to examine the personal, social, and cultural barriers that prohibit African American men from seeking psychological treatment for their depression or depressive symptoms. I implemented a methodology that was based on the theoretical framework of Andersen’s Behavior for Health Services. This theoretical approach was utilized to gain a more in-depth understanding of the health care utilization amongst African American men and their accessibility to resources based on their barriers faces, as well as to identify the elements that may influence their help-seeking behaviors. This research study strived to analyze the lived help-seeking experiences of African American men with depression and depressive symptoms through the following research questions: How do African American men describe their help-seeking experiences? How do African American men describe the factors that contribute to their depression? How do African American men describe social barriers that prevent them from seeking help? How do African American men use individual, social, and cultural lived experiences to overcome help-seeking behaviors? A purposeful sampling technique was utilized to identify African American men who met the study’s criteria and would be open to sharing their lived help-seeking experiences. Data was gathered using a combination of semi-structed and open-ended questions. I derived themes, subthemes and summarized each participant’s lived help-seeking experiences from the data collected, and discussed the findings below. The study’s conclusions, Implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research studies are discussed as well. This research study addressed the help-seeking barriers of African American men battling depression making this dissertation relevant to enhancing health care services and mental health resources.
