Noir 'N Nola | Mental Health

Hurricane Katrina not only devastated lives and property, but also the mental health of both low-income and Black communities.
Research from The Center of Disease Control states that more than 50% of New Orleans residents showed signs of needing mental health assistance.
A study from the National Institutes of Health also found that many Black New Orleanians showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder following the storm.
The Black community was hit the hardest following budget cuts and closures to several mental health facilities by former Governor Bobby Jindal.

COMMON MENTAL ILLNESSES

Anxiety disorders (Post Traumatic Stress Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, Panic Disorder, etc.)
Mood disorders (Bipolar Disorder, Depression)
Eating disorders (Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating)
Psychosis
Schizophrenia
Personality Disorders

#FACTS

Mental illness is often overlooked in the Black community.
African Americans make up 13.2% of the U.S. population. Of those, 16% had a diagnosable illness.. that's over 6.8 million people!
The Black community as a whole has suffered tremendously in this country. We rarely discuss the psychological effects that racism may cause.
Constant visual exposure can cause trauma. Think about how many times we have watched a video of a Black person being murdered by police, then had to close the app and go back to serving as a functioning member of society.
"Racial trauma" can affect those that are directly or indirectly exposed to racial harassment, racial violence, and/or institutional racism.
Black people in New Orleans are not only exposed to the threat of racial trauma, but trauma resulting from Hurricane Katrina as well.

RESOURCES

MENTAL HEALTH