African American adolescents and mental health care: a metasynthesis.
OBJECTIVE
African American adolescents access mental health services at lower rates than their Caucasian counterparts, thus resulting in a large disparity. The purpose of the study was to understand the experiences of African American adolescents in dealing with mental health conditions and what led to or hindered their access to mental health services.


METHODS
A metasynthesis of six qualitative studies was conducted using the meta-ethnographic approach by Noblit and Hare.


RESULTS
Four reciprocal themes illuminating the experiences of African American adolescents with mental health issues were revealed: uncertainty and soul searching, strength of the inner circle, shame and reluctance, belief in the system. Each of the themes was explored in detail through the rich quotations of the adolescents.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings provided an insight and understanding into the process the adolescents went through before seeking help and may aid as a framework for designing interventions to better serve this vulnerable population.
University of Connecticut School of Nursing, Storrs, CT, USA.
Ranbir Mangat
RM
Bains
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*
Adolescent; African American; barrier; depression; help seeking; mental health service