Yolanda Grady |
Institution: Tougaloo College
Major: Psychology Mentor: Dr. Laura Johnson Expected Graduation: May, 2006 Organization & Honors:
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ABSTRACT
The Role of Spirituality in African American Help-seeking for Psychological Problems
| Although African American culture is greatly recognized for its deeply rooted religious ties and spiritual traditions these practices remain outside of the professional mental health realm. In a help seeking study performed by Harold W. Neighbors only 9% of African Americans reported seeking professional help for a series of personal problems. Further studies suggest that at times of emotional distress, African Americans are more likely to seek help from general physicians, hospital emergency rooms, or ministers, rather than from mental health professionals (Neighbors, 1985, 1988). This study examines the relationship between spirituality and the type of help-seeking methods of African Americans. Data has been collected for 115 African Africans from the community and university setting. Participants completed measures assessing socio-demographics, the importance of spirituality, traditional religious beliefs, and beliefs about the benefits and likelihood of seeking spiritual and psychological help. A significant positive correlation was found between spirituality and beliefs about spiritual help, while no significant correlation was found between spirituality and beliefs about psychological help. The results suggest that, while spirituality is related to spiritual help-seeking, it does not preclude psychological help-seeking. Implications for culturally appropriate service delivery are discussed. |