Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Date

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Counseling Psychology

Committee Chair

Madeline Brodt

Committee Member

Rosie Davis

Committee Member

Tangela Roberts

Abstract

This study sought to examine the role the Black barbershop environment may play in lessening the gap between mental-health stigma and help-seeking behaviors among African American men. It is the first to examine the impact of peer-support received in the Black barbershop in comparison to a traditional medical setting on referral follow-through among this demographic. Black men experience significant physical health disparities in comparison to all other race-sex demographic groups in the United States. These health disparities are often due to systemic inequities like lack of access to health care, cost of care, and a lack of insurance. With much of the current literature emphasizing physical health disparities, there appears to be a lack of insight into the full picture of mental health concerns among Black men. Social support has been the least studied protective factor against depression, suggesting the need for further investigation into social support among Black men. Researchers have suggested that African American men might best be reached in communal settings like their local barbershop for ease of recruitment, therefore, the Black barbershop is integral to the current study because of its’ wide utilization when addressing both physical and mental health concerns among African American men. Data was collected from 290 cisgender, African American men, age 18 to over 70-years-old. Results suggest that referral location alone does not appear to meaningfully predict the likelihood of referral follow-through, suggesting that the underutilization of mental health services by Black men may be influenced by other contextual factors. Social support was associated with more positive attitudes toward help-seeking suggesting that social support as a protective factor may be a strong enough motivator regardless of one’s experience of self-stigma. Overall, the findings of the current study demonstrate the continued need for culturally relevant interventions that engage the pre-existing social support networks of African American men. It is possible that by engaging trusted peers in the referral process (i.e., barbers, pastors, community leaders), rather than solely individuals with shared identities within shared spaces like the barbershop, a shift towards positive perceptions of mental health care is more achievable.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest/Clarivate.

Notes

Open Access

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