African American College Students' perceptions about Depression

The primary purpose of this study is to discover the perceptions that African- American college students hold regarding messages about depression. Although recent reports on mental illness suggest that the rate among African Americans suffering from a mental illness is similar to that of Caucasians, a closer look at debilitating mental illness disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia reveal interesting cultural differences (DHHS, 2001, “What is mental illness,” 2007). According to the Surgeon General's report on mental health, African Americans along with other minority populations are not only less likely to use professional mental health services, but often do not receive the same quality of services as White Americans (DHHS, 2001). For African Americans who suffer from a mental illness, several barriers prevent those who have mental disorders from receiving appropriate treatment, including cost of treatment, stigma, and a lack of understanding about mental health symptoms (Neighbors & Williams, 2001, DHHS, 2001, Institute of Health, 2003. This study employs a self-reporting questionnaire administered to college students at a historically black university about their perceptions of three video PSAs on depression to determine which messages prove salient to their beliefs concerning depression.