By Madeline Burgin |
Staff writer
During Multicultural Wellness Wednesday, Licensed Professional Counselor and Outreach Coordinator Adebayo Onabule gives a presentation to Augusta University (AU) students explaining why BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) mental health matters.
Onabule “highlight the lived experiences of BIPOC, while highlighting the risk of stress and the role that mental health care plays for overall well-being.”
The presentation started with a moment of silence and reflection of those lost this year in families and communities. The exercise illustrated the need and timeliness of this presentation.
Onabule then moved into a retrospective on his past presentation “Why Black Mental Health Matters” and the importance of identity in these discussions.
He explains how the “shared identity as people long marginalized and oppressed who have experienced discrimination in American society continues to adversely impact and limit…overall well-being.”
Defined by Onabule, mental health is “a state of positive wellness, psychological, emotional, and social well-being free from excessive stress.”
Due to the marginalization of BIPOC, they face ongoing barriers in American society and access of mental health care. These issues range from poverty to inequalities in education to mass incarceration to targeted discrimination and violence.
Onabule explains that the coranavirus further exacerbates and illustrates BIPOC’s barriers in society. “The research shows that the BIPOC are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” said Onabule.
He explains that the research shows that, “Black and Indigenous Americans experience the highest death tolls from COVID-19…Black and Latinx households are likelier to experience food insufficiency during the pandemic…even BIPOC healthcare workers are disproportionately affected by the virus…being put on the front lines”
Police brutality has become a large-scale issue throughout the pandemic along with other discriminatory actions in American society.
In the second half of his presentation, Onabule explains the signs of stress and what to look out for.
Onabule further explains, that BIPOC face specific barriers to mental health care such as, “stigma within the BIPOC community, distrust and lack of understanding of mental health care, lack of diverse…culturally competent providers and insurance and underinsurance.”
However, there are steps that BIPOC students can use to intervene and boost their mental health. He said that students can “self-assess, reflect on their mental health, practice meditation and mindfulness…practice self-care by taking proactive care of yourself…seek help either through support systems, spiritualty, or professional help.”
AU’s Student Counseling and Psychological has “focused services for BIPOC students. So that no one is left behind.”
For more information contact: Counselor Adebayo Onabule or Dr. Green for more resources, visit https://www.augusta.edu/counseling/ or call (706) 737-1471 for to schedule an appointment at SCAPS.
