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aliciakindlereads's review against another edition
4.0
Informative
I’m giving this a 4 star because I was expecting resources and suggestions throughout the book. I got them last 2 chapters of the book. Overall the book brought awareness to Mental Health and how to recognize it. I don’t think I got what I needed out of it because I have more insight into the MH field so a lot of the things that were mentioned, I already knew. I would still recommend to all due to the fact that we or someone we know is/can be affected and this book gives insight on how to be that friend for someone and to be able to call on someone.
I’m giving this a 4 star because I was expecting resources and suggestions throughout the book. I got them last 2 chapters of the book. Overall the book brought awareness to Mental Health and how to recognize it. I don’t think I got what I needed out of it because I have more insight into the MH field so a lot of the things that were mentioned, I already knew. I would still recommend to all due to the fact that we or someone we know is/can be affected and this book gives insight on how to be that friend for someone and to be able to call on someone.
ardavis414's review against another edition
3.0
Dr. Walker’s book is a great intro guide for mental health for Black people. Black folks, specifically Black women, are just as likely to experience mental illness as other racial groups but are less likely to reach for treatment. I think that this is a wonderful resource for Black women who normally don’t trust the medical establishment and therefore will reach out for support from their religious leaders before scheduling an appointment with a therapist. While pastors and reverends may provide marriage counseling to couples, they are rarely qualified to counsel their parishioners on their mental health. Dr. Walker is absolutely right to point this out.
Despite its benefits, this book wasn’t really for me. It didn’t provide any new material that I didn’t already know. Also, I’m not religious. Dr. Walker simply believes that a person without religious faith has a higher likelihood of having intent to self-harm or die by suicide. I respectfully disagree. However, I’m sure that someone with deep ties to their religious faith would appreciate this guide more.
Despite its benefits, this book wasn’t really for me. It didn’t provide any new material that I didn’t already know. Also, I’m not religious. Dr. Walker simply believes that a person without religious faith has a higher likelihood of having intent to self-harm or die by suicide. I respectfully disagree. However, I’m sure that someone with deep ties to their religious faith would appreciate this guide more.
readalotwritealot's review
5.0
Am I the intended audience for this book? Nope.
But when a friend said this book is a must read for ALL people, I grabbed a copy from the library. Because I love reading books that I’m not the intended audience for, especially when they are about mental health.
Like most mental health books, this one addressed lots of great specifics on how to get help, self-help, and even meds. But what this book did differently was it didn’t come from a place of whiteness being the norm (like many mental health books). Instead it discussed culture, church, racism and history.
I loved that this book didn’t sugarcoat anything. Walker came right out talking about suicide in the first chapter and citing stats about how the suicide rate is higher among Black children than white children. She discussed the stigma of discussing mental health in the Black community and she had two chapters focused on racism.
While I think there is a wealth of information here, I think for me those two chapters on racism were the ones I got the most from. And I totally agree with my friend, this is a must read for all. And it would make a great addition to your Mental Health Awareness Month TBR.
But when a friend said this book is a must read for ALL people, I grabbed a copy from the library. Because I love reading books that I’m not the intended audience for, especially when they are about mental health.
Like most mental health books, this one addressed lots of great specifics on how to get help, self-help, and even meds. But what this book did differently was it didn’t come from a place of whiteness being the norm (like many mental health books). Instead it discussed culture, church, racism and history.
I loved that this book didn’t sugarcoat anything. Walker came right out talking about suicide in the first chapter and citing stats about how the suicide rate is higher among Black children than white children. She discussed the stigma of discussing mental health in the Black community and she had two chapters focused on racism.
While I think there is a wealth of information here, I think for me those two chapters on racism were the ones I got the most from. And I totally agree with my friend, this is a must read for all. And it would make a great addition to your Mental Health Awareness Month TBR.
krystalicia_'s review
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Not for nothing, but I love a book that does exactly what it says it is. I picked this up initially for a few reasons:
- a lot of the popular mental health/psychology books I’ve seen are written by white authors which means there’s a lot of cultural context missing
- As a people, the experience may not be the same, but the implications and stigma around it are still fairly similar in the Latine community so I knew there would be helpful context in there that still felt relatable
- Why would I not won’t to be better at supporting the people in my life?
My favorite thing about this was the accessible language. It’s written to speak to someone who is not even remotely in touch with their own mental health and give them the tools to help themselves help themselves. I like this because this also gives you the language to explain to someone why it’s important to care about their mental health, the hidden reasons it’s impacted, and the risk of what can happen if you don’t. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the books as well as the chapter ‘How to Make “Therapy” Work, When You Need It.’ Definitely recommend!
andrewfontenelle's review against another edition
5.0
"The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health" is an important work that highlights the mental health issues that people of African descent living in the US face and the impact it has on their lives. It also provides "tools" that can be used to at least start addressing the problem.
In the UK, Black people are more likely to be diagnosed with psychosis, find themselves in inpatient mental health services, or be detained under the Mental Health Act than White people. This makes the content of this book relevant, to those of us living outside the US.
Recommended reading.
In the UK, Black people are more likely to be diagnosed with psychosis, find themselves in inpatient mental health services, or be detained under the Mental Health Act than White people. This makes the content of this book relevant, to those of us living outside the US.
Recommended reading.