Date

12-19-2024

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Mollie Boyd

Keywords

Christian African American men, mental health, stigmatization, faith, GenX, Christianity

Disciplines

Counseling

Abstract

The primary goal of this study was to examine the Mental health stigmatization and the faith of Christian African American GenX men. Mental Health within the African American community is a topic that is often considered taboo and seldom discussed. African faith plays a prominent role, many still experience contradictory feelings about receiving mental health treatment due to the worry of being judged and stigmatized. Therefore, it is critical to understand African Americans' perceptions of depression and views of depression treatment, including cultural stigmas and religious, spiritual, and socioeconomic barriers that may deter individuals from seeking or accepting treatment in order to reduce the mental health disparities within their communities. The theories that guided this study were Critical Race Theory and Medical Critical Race Theory. They were employed to examine how the social structures of science, medicine, and society have been influenced and infiltrated by race and racism fortified by the historical and typical racist praxis of institutional structures that facilitate mental health disparities and inequities among African Americans. The following three research questions were used to guide this study: How do Christian African American GenX men describe their faith during challenging times? How does faith among Christian African American GenX men survive the negative emotional state of religious and spiritual struggles?, and How do Christian African American GenX men believe the church is meeting their mental health needs?

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