Black Enterprise offices are located a few blocks from a Barnes and Noble that will be host to a Kim Kardashian West in a few hours. Fans have spent the night on the sidewalks around the bookstore to be sure to get a chance to be near the reality star and entrepreneur.
In addition to pounding the pavement to promote her book, Kardashian West has been wearing her executive producer hat, using her star power to bring attention to the potentially hazardous intersection of mental health and social media.
Executive producer Kardashian West joined forces with the producers of Dr. Drew Pinsky’s HLN hit  “Intervention†to create Red Flag, (#RedFlag).  The one-hour show, which premiers Tuesday, May 5 at 9 p.m. EST on HLN, takes viewers into the lives of 2 individuals and examines how they use their social media personas to deal with a bipolar disorder and depression.
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Prior to the show, Kardashian will discuss the issue in a live Facebook chat at 8PM. Go to Facebook/HLN.
I attended the screening of Red Flag last week. As the producers hoped, there was a provocative and lively discussion after the show about social media and mental health. At one point the conversation turned to the stigma around mental healthcare in the Black Community.
Research has shown that Blacks seek out mental health services at a much lower rate that Whites. A study of the American Psychological Association (APA) called “Race Differences in the Receipt of Mental Health Services Among Young Adults,†found that young adult Blacks, especially those with higher levels of education, are significantly less likely to seek mental health services than their white counterparts.
Dr. Janet Taylor, a nationally recognized mental health expert with a practice in New York City devoted to community health, says she senses a positive change taking place in the Black community’s relationship with mental healthcare.
“I think it’s getting better. In my own practice, which is in an urban area, I’ve seen more men come in and certainly women. We may not talk about it as much but we’re starting to,†says Taylor.
“Historically, we have used religion and spirituality to make ourselves feel better. I think people are beginning to realize that depression is a biological dysfunction like diabetes or heart disease. You need to get it assessed and taken care of,†she adds.
Taylor and I also discussed some of the ways in which social media can influence the mental healthcare debate and how individuals in need can help themselves and others.
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BlackEnterprise: It feels like the conversation around mental health is becoming more mainstream— there is less stigma attached to it. What are your impressions?
Dr. Taylor: There is definitely more an increased awareness when it comes to mental health, mental illness and the impact on our society. Unfortunately, much of the conversation is still superficial and related more to happiness, which is important. People still, however, have trouble taking the deep dive because of stigma and the fact that it makes them uncomfortable.
[WATCH: Video Below]
How has social media affected the landscape? As the HLN special Red Flag indicates, people are using it as a medium to express their struggles.
Social media gives an individual the opportunity 24/7 to express how they feel, in the comfort of their own home. You see a lot more emotional reactions. Sometimes people just want to say I’m happy. That’s okay. Just because you’re expressing yourself, however, doesn’t mean that you are treating yourself. That’s where social media can fall short. There are some people who need treatment. There are some people who need to be treated in a doctor’s office.
How does someone know if they need treatment?
If you ever feel like you want to hurt yourself or someone else call 911. Get to a medical professional.  If you notice a change in your behavior and attitudes about things you normally enjoy and you aren’t functioning in places like work or school for a period of 2 weeks, you need to talk to your healthcare professional. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs is another red flag.
What do people do who are in that gray area of not knowing if they’re just having a tough time or if they really need help?
First of all, applaud yourself for recognizing that something is going on. Next you should access yourself in terms of your ability to function — that’s what will really dictate whether you need help.  If you do, don’t hesitate to call your medical doctor or your local mental health association.
As you mentioned earlier, social media gives people the chance to express themselves. How can we tell if someone we’re interacting with or seeing on our social pages is really in trouble?
If someone seems like they want to hurt themselves, encourage them to call 911.   In addition, words hurt and people have tried to hurt themselves or try to kill themselves based on what they’ve seen on social media. The nature of social media is that it allows us to have a disconnect from the real person. That’s why you should never try to be someone’s social media therapist.