Involving Consumers in the Development of a Psychoeducational Booklet About Stigma for Black Mental Health Clients

Abstract

Black individuals hold more negative views of mental illness and mental health treatment than do Whites, attitudes that are implicated in the underutilization of mental health services by Black populations. Psychoeducational interventions or materials may be one way to address attitudinal barriers to mental health treatment among Black adults, but only if the psychoeducational content is directly relevant to their beliefs and concerns. This article documents the process of developing a consumer-derived psychoeducational booklet for Black adults contemplating mental health treatment. Black mental health consumers provided the content for the booklet through qualitative interviews about their experiences and then provided feedback once it was developed. Results from this project suggest that the strategy of involving consumers is a feasible approach to develop psychoeducational materials that address treatment barriers in underserved populations.