Lay My Burden Down: Suicide and the Mental Health Crisis among African-Americans

The most valuable aspect of this book for me is the perspective of the author about her brother's suicide and how it effected her. That's unique and only she can tell us about that.Anyone who uses Google can readily discover statistical evidence demonstrating that Blacks are committing suicide far more often now than we did forty years ago. Having read many scholarly articles and National Institute of Health reports about suicide, I did not find that I learned substantially more through this book.Nonetheless, I have only the deepest respect for its authors and I hope the Black perspective they bring to the topic will help caregivers keep Black patients safer and provide therapy more effectively; help Black families escape denial to confront reality when a member of the family is considering suicide; and even help people considering suicide to realize that they are not alone in their anguish.A book that offers those benefits is well worth offering to those who might be helped.

Drs. Poussaint and Alexander poises thought provoking questions on the rise of African American suicides especially among young males. The authors states, if African Americans endured over three centuries of slavery and Jim Cow laws without succumbing to hopelessness and self negation, why is their a surge in suicides today? Is crime and poverty, (the catalysts of hopelessness) contributing to the demise of young African American males? Is the participation of young African Americans in drug and alcohol abuse, unsafe sex, a form suicide, related to unfulled dreams and a feeling of hoplessness? The authors set out to answer these questions in the context of the pervasiveness of racism, which greatly contributes to a "mental health crisis" which is tightening its grip among young African Americans.

Helpful for those in the mental health field who want to expand their horizons a bit. The authors bring up past issues and show how they still continue to affect people today. It was well-written and easy to follow.

Dr. Poussaint and Ms. Alexander tell the story of the treatment Blacks in the mental health system with convincing accuracy. The cases they cite should be a warning and send a message that racism in health care still exists, and should be addressed by all, most especially those of us of color who treat people of color.

Everyone in the Afro American community needs to read this book.It's has helped me cope with the death of my son.It also addresses the slow suicide of drug, alcohol & sex addiction afflicting our most important resource; our youth.A grieving mother.

While I am a big fan of Dr. Poussaint's work, I was disappointed with this work. It did not offer much in the way of concrete conclusions or solutions to walk away with.

This book helps you to understand more about depression and how African American women are affected by it. I would recommend this book for those women who are questionong whether they are depressed.

This really gives a good prospective on Mental Health in the African American Community. It is really good book i reccomend anyone that is into learnng more about mental health issues, should read it.