Mental Health Advocate Strives to Make ‘Black Girls Smile’

“Seeking assistance or help for mental health is not a weakness. It is a sign of strength.”

This is the message mental health advocate Lauren Carson wants to instill in African-American girls. Carson will be leading the session “Road to Wellness: An African-American Female’s Journey” at APA’s 2018 IPS: The Mental Health Services Conference, which is being held October 4 to 7 in Chicago.

Carson grew up in Atlanta. Even though she felt fortunate in many ways, from an early age Carson was withdrawn and suffered from extreme sadness and hopelessness. At 15, she was diagnosed with depression, and while this came as a relief, she was overwhelmed by feelings of shame.

“Depression is not something that we talk about or feel comfortable discussing in my community. It’s seen as a shameful thing, and it’s pervasive that you should pray and take your problems to the church because mental illness and depression aren’t real issues,” she told Esperanza, a magazine that focuses on topics related to anxiety and depression.

So for the next few years, Carson hid her struggle with mental illness as she focused on academic achievement. She was accepted at the University of Virginia (UVA) and set her sights on a career on Wall Street. Nonetheless, her battle with depression came to a head during her freshman year. While at home over spring break, Carson attempted suicide and was hospitalized. After she was discharged, she tried to end her life a second time. At this point, Carson realized she needed to stop hiding. She began sharing her story with the hope that she could help others in crisis.

Carson graduated from UVA in 2010 with a degree in psychology. In 2012 she founded Black Girls Smile Inc. to address what she saw as a gap in mental health outreach to female adolescents. The nonprofit provides mental health resources, education, and support geared toward young African-American females. Its website features blogs on mental health topics, as well as ways to engage in mental health awareness through volunteering and on social media.

Carson described Black Girls Smile in STAT, a health-oriented news service.

“We don’t focus on treatment or diagnosis. We really want to increase mental health literacy, coping skills, and self-care methods. Especially in the African-American community, many people are not even seeking assistance to be diagnosed. Most of our programs are focused around African-American girls between the ages of 13 and 19. We really want to catch them early. We want to educate them on their emotions.”

Carson, who lives in Atlanta, is a contributing blogger for the Huffington Post, regularly volunteers at Children of Bellevue, serves on the New York Women’s Foundation Grant Advisory Committee, and was selected for the Gillibrand Women’s Mentoring Initiative. Additionally, she is certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid and participates in a Georgia Peer Specialist training program.

At the IPS, Carson will share her story and explore mental health risks facing African-American women and ways clinicians can better serve these patients. The session will be held Saturday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ■