The stigma surrounding Jamaican men mental health in poor communities

Sat Jan 06, 2024 2:37 pm

The effects of systematic area code discrimination on ethnic Jamaicans have been persistent as a lot of the young men from certain areas point out, and the increase in media reports and images of brutality and violence inflicted upon members of those community has added insult to injury. It's no secret that exposure to area codes discrimination is linked to various adverse mental health outcomes.
Anxiety Disorders Among the Jamaican population especially the men has increased as non working individuals who dropped out of school and cannot get a job, see no means or way out start to fight.

They are introduced to alcohol beverages and chain smoking, mainly seasoned spliff.
As mental health challenges continue to rise in these communities, some high percentage of Jamaican men still aren’t receiving the mental health care and treatment they may need. This is especially true for mostly Black Jamaican men, who are not only affected by the general barriers to medical treatment that many in the Jamaican Black community face, but who also have internalized certain behaviours that fit within the social constructs of Jamaican Black masculinity — ultimately impacting their help-seeking behaviours. Despite known or suspected mental health issues, Black Jamaican men are for numerous reasons often reluctant to seek treatment.
During the covid pandemic:

“The combination of physical distancing, economic anxiety, and — for people from poorer communities — the very real stress from area codes since the pandemic means that Jamaica will have a lot of unmet mental health needs, they need to shore up the infrastructure to fix the problem
Adding to these factors for Jamaican men specifically are traditional masculinity roles and ideas across racial and ethnic backgrounds that have caused men to struggle with being vulnerable and sharing their emotions — making them even more reluctant to seek help. A growing body of research and commentary looks specifically at how Jamaican masculinity norms and presumptions affect mental health among men from inner cities.

In order for JAMAICAN men to seek and receive help, they must be willing to be vulnerable enough to admit that they need help and ask for it. And asking for help requires some Jamaican men to deviate from expectations that require them to be tough — which itself can create significant inner tension and conflict. Given the numerous negative impacts of Jamaican masculinity,

More Black Men Are Exposing Vulnerabilities, Creating Space for Dialogue and Change
Despite these norms and the frequent inner struggle over vulnerability, more and more Black men are sharing their challenges with mental health. In 2016, the rapper Kid Cudi openly talked about his depression on social media, as reported by The Good Men Project, after which the hashtag #YouGoodMan quickly began to trend on Twitter to encourage Black men to share more about mental health issues.

Highly traditional gender roles persist in the Black community, stigmatizing men who express vulnerability as shamefully fragile. And if you’re born into a culture that promotes hypermasculinity, you are in danger of developing toxic attitudes and behaviours that can exacerbate issues like depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder and substance abuse, leaving you even more isolated.

Choosing the Specialist Who’s Right for You
If you’ve made the decision to speak to someone, excellent! But keep in mind that not all mental health professionals are the same, and some offer and focus on different specializations. Do your own research on the best fit for you, but consider starting with your primary care doctor: They can offer further guidance on how to move forward in selecting a mental health professional.

Although some progress has been made toward destigmatizing mental health issues among Jamaican men, more must be done. For Jamaican men who find themselves conflicted about whether to seek a professional counsellor and are wondering if it’s right for them,
Jamaican men who are experiencing psychological and emotional health challenges have nothing to prove to anyone but themselves. and prioritizing mental and physical wellness so that you can be more present for those who love and depend on you is essential.

We have an ethical obligation to commit to achieving area codes equality, but we should also remember the countless practical advantages of doing so. Better mental health for Jamaican men is just one of these, but it is one that will undoubtedly benefit the whole Jamaica.