Training Georgia Black Barbers to be Mental Health Advocates: Pilot Study of The Confess Project

Abstract

Black men disproportionately experience more life stressors that cause psychological distress than other racial groups. Nevertheless, they are the least likely to seek help, typically because of stigma, discomfort discussing mental health (MH) challenges, and normative beliefs pervasive in the Black community. Subsequently, depression and other mental illnesses often go unrecognized and untreated. There is a dire need for culturally-appropriate early interventions that account for the unique lived experiences and beliefs of Black men and will assist them in identifying MH issues and accessing MH services. The Confess Project (TCP), a promising barber-led intervention, builds on the social connectedness and open dialogue that naturally occur in Black barbershops; over 1,250 barbers in 40 cities nationwide are TCP-trained to be MH advocates for their clients. Using a mixed methods design, the first study of TCP is being conducted to assess its acceptability and feasibility and to determine whether trainings held in metro Atlanta resulted in changes in measures of barber knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding MH. Quantitative data collected during 2022 from over 100 barbers were analyzed using descriptive analysis (frequencies, percentages, means, Friedman tests, paired Wilcoxon Rank Sums tests). Additionally, thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data collected from 29 barbers who participated in one of 5 focus groups conducted. Findings highlight statistically significant differences over time in barber knowledge about MH stigma (p

Keywords

Mental health, Black/African American men, barbershop-based early intervention, health promotion

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Training Georgia Black Barbers to be Mental Health Advocates: Pilot Study of The Confess Project

Black men disproportionately experience more life stressors that cause psychological distress than other racial groups. Nevertheless, they are the least likely to seek help, typically because of stigma, discomfort discussing mental health (MH) challenges, and normative beliefs pervasive in the Black community. Subsequently, depression and other mental illnesses often go unrecognized and untreated. There is a dire need for culturally-appropriate early interventions that account for the unique lived experiences and beliefs of Black men and will assist them in identifying MH issues and accessing MH services. The Confess Project (TCP), a promising barber-led intervention, builds on the social connectedness and open dialogue that naturally occur in Black barbershops; over 1,250 barbers in 40 cities nationwide are TCP-trained to be MH advocates for their clients. Using a mixed methods design, the first study of TCP is being conducted to assess its acceptability and feasibility and to determine whether trainings held in metro Atlanta resulted in changes in measures of barber knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding MH. Quantitative data collected during 2022 from over 100 barbers were analyzed using descriptive analysis (frequencies, percentages, means, Friedman tests, paired Wilcoxon Rank Sums tests). Additionally, thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data collected from 29 barbers who participated in one of 5 focus groups conducted. Findings highlight statistically significant differences over time in barber knowledge about MH stigma (p