Scholars: Institutional Racism a Mental Health Issue For Black Youth and Families Some behavioral problems in Black youths can be attributed to their effort to protect themselves from racism, and is a “manifestation of depression,” one researcher told a panel at the seventh annual Diversity Challenge Conference at Boston College.
Dr. Anderson J. Franklin, the Honorable David S. Nelson Professional Chair in Education at Boston College, also noted that dysfunctional housing, such as group homes and foster care, and poor schooling are factors that put children at risk of developing mental disorders. Therefore, Franklin said, the anti-social acts cannot be treated with a simple diagnostic because the issue is deeply rooted in society and institutions.
The way to combat mental issues for youths and their families, Franklin said, is to “treat the illness of institutional racism … a disease that has legal consequences as well as mental consequences.”
