An Exploratory Case Study of the Types of Resources Black Boys Use to Support Their Mental Health

Brittany Ribeiro Brown; Ed-Dee G Williams; Jamie M Abelson; Arushi Chandrakapure; Daphne C Watkins

doi:10.3390/healthcare10061082

An Exploratory Case Study of the Types of Resources Black Boys Use to Support Their Mental Health

Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Jun 10;10(6):1082. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10061082.

Authors

Brittany Ribeiro Brown^{1

2

3}, Ed-Dee G Williams^{1

3}, Jamie M Abelson^{1

3}, Arushi Chandrakapure^{3

4}, Daphne C Watkins^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
² Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
³ Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
⁴ College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

Abstract

Black adolescent boys experience mental health challenges because of their exposure to a greater frequency and severity of psychosocial stressors. This study used a sample of Black boys at a high school in southeastern Michigan as a case study to understand the types of resources Black boys might use to support their mental health. After conducting a rigorous analysis of the study data using a rapid and an accelerated data reduction technique, four themes helped us answer the question: What kinds of mental health support resources are Black boys using? Four themes emerged from our analysis: online resources, community and trusted individuals, self-reliance, and additional needs. This case study is a springboard for further work to tailor a mental health education and support intervention, such as the YBMen Project, for Black boys and for building additional support amid the multiple crises occurring that impact their mental health and safety. Findings have implications for future research, practice, and policy to improve the mental health of Black boys in high school.

Keywords: mental health; resources; social support.

Grants and funding

This project was supported in part by funding awarded to Elizabeth Koschmann, principal investigator and director of TRAILS—50% from a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) grant and 50% from philanthropic funds. Additional support came from the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training at the University of Michigan School of Social Work.