Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Reba Glidewell

Abstract

African Americans diagnosed with schizophrenia have longer wait times to be treated by mental health care professionals, resulting in their underuse of mental health services. This problem has motivated medical professionals to reexamine the ways in which services are rendered and then make appropriate improvements. The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experiences of African Americans diagnosed with schizophrenia and identify the reasons for their underuse of mental health services. A phenomenological research design was used to understand and explore the participants’ lived experiences of the phenomenon. Participants were recruited from an independent living facility. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the sample of 3 African American men and 3 African American women who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Semistructured interviews were conducted using field notes and a digital voice recorder. Results of the content analysis supported the 5 themes related to the barriers that African Americans face when seeking treatment for schizophrenia: lacking transportation; feeling misunderstood by their doctors; perceiving themselves as being different, which they saw as a gift; trying to keep their illness hidden from others; and questioning whether they really needed to take medication. The 5 themes that emerged highlighted important aspects of the barriers that African Americans face when seeking treatment for schizophrenia. The results of this study will contribute to social change by informing health care workers of the reasons that African Americans do not seek treatment for schizophrenia and by exposing the need for increased awareness within health care organizations.

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