Perspectives on Social Anxiety and Barriers to School-Based Mental Health Services Among Black American Adolescents

Few studies have examined social anxiety in Black American adolescents, despite the role of unique sociocultural factors and lower rates of mental health service use in this population. The goal of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions and experience of social anxiety, as well as attitudes toward help-seeking and school-based mental health services, in Black American adolescents. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 15 Black American students from an urban, public high school in the northeast United States. Overall, students provided descriptions of social anxiety consistent with typical presentations and linked social anxiety to experiences that occur in the Black community, such as racial discrimination and stigma. In addition, students identified barriers to help-seeking and school-based mental health services, including a preference to handle things on their own, as well as concerns about treatment effectiveness, confidentiality, negative responses from parents, and appearing weak. Findings may inform efforts for developing culturally sensitive and accessible school-based interventions for Black American adolescents with social anxiety.