How Do Young Black Men Cope with Mental Health Challenges? Findings from the Ybmen Project

Background:  The current U.S. social climate calls for additional work with young Black men to better understand their thoughts, ideas, and perceptions surrounding mental health coping strategies. While earlier research has traditionally utilized quantitative approaches to broadly examine both physical and mental health coping mechanisms amongst Black Americans, a dearth of literature uses qualitative approaches to understanding how Black men cope with mental health challenges (Utsey & Payne, 2000; Williams, Neighbors, & Jackson, 2003). Of these, only a limited number of qualitative studies have reviewed coping with mental health challenges in young Black men (Watkins & Neighbors, 2007). In efforts to assuage the deleterious effects young Black men encounter throughout their lives, it is imperative that researchers and practitioners begin to critically examine the nuanced and complex factors associated with coping and well-being within this underserved population. 

Method: This study is a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected for a larger intervention research study—the Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Project. The YBMen Project sought to understand and expand on young Black men’s conceptualization of masculine identity development and mental health. Study participants included 18 to 25-year-old self-identified Black men enrolled at a 2-year college in the Midwest. Eleven (n=11) pre and post-test qualitative interviews matched by race and gender were completed and analyzed using a rigorous and accelerated data reduction (RADaR) technique (Watkins & Gioia, 2015; Watkins, Wharton, Mitchell, Matusko, & Kales, in press). This process involved transferring transcript data into a Microsoft Word spreadsheet, followed by placing the research question in the page header. Data that were not pertinent to the research question were meticulously removed from the table. This process of reduction was repeated until the table only included data that directly supported the research question. Once the spreadsheet was reduced, a rigorous content analysis was conducted to uncover patterns, differences, and trends among respondents (Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2007).

Results: Participants reported that Black men use various coping strategies when navigating stressful life events, which includes discussing issues with members of their social support networks (e.g. friends, family members, etc.), engaging in physical activities and hobbies, and relying on themselves. Some participants shared that Black men intentionally ignore or avoid dealing with depression, while others believed that attempting to make sense of the problem(s) through a historical lens aided in the healing process.  Substance use, violence, and anger were all identified as markers of untreated mental health challenges. Stigma emerged as barrier to seeking help. 

Conclusion: Study findings highlight within-group differences among young Black men and confirm that they are not a monolithic group. This is important to note, as mental health researchers must continue to develop creative ways to examine coping, while also working to ensure the mental health needs unique to the lived experiences of young Black men are further explored and that resources become more readily available both in and outside of their communities.