Addressing Mental Health Among Black Women
“My vision is to have a world where Black women are living trauma-free and Black families are staying together.” As the co-founder of an organization focusing on mental health within the Black community, Chavaughn Gibson believes there is a stigma attached to mental health services and a gap between mental health awareness and solutions. “There are some negative norms in the Black community,” she said. “You often hear the sayings of, ‘What happens in this house stays in this house.’” These phrases create mentalities that inhibit constructive expression or discussion of these situations to licensed professionals who can assist in working through those issues.
The Daughters’ Den
Gibson is the chief executive of ! cer of The Daughters’ Den, a nonpro ! t that seeks to address intergenerational emotional healing, speci ! cally among Black women. “There’s just too much going on in this community for us not to be considering the impacts our environment has on our outlook and the way we can prosper.” She cited recent events surrounding racial discrimination and violence within the communities the organization serves as signi ! cant factors that weigh on the condition of one’s mental health. “Black people already needed a community to freely talk about those things. Then the pandemic brought along isolation, worry, and anxiety.” With high rates of heart disease and high blood pressure among people of color, the onset of the pandemic brought an additional burden of concern.
“My vision is to have a world
where Black women areliving trauma-free andBlack families are staying together.”
- Chavaughn Gibson, CEO of The Daughters’ Den
4
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online