Black Adults Who Live with ADHD

Podcast transcript:

Summary

Black adults with ADHD face barriers when seeking diagnosis and treatment for ADHD. There are cultural concerns that need to be addressed for them to receive proper evaluation and effective treatment. Dr. Napoleon Higgins, a psychiatrist from Houston, Texas, discusses mental health stigma within the Black community, the cultural values that may impact treatment, and ways to address these issues. He provides resources that can help one find culturally competent providers, and strategies Black adults can use to help providers better understand their challenges.

Napoleon Higgins, MD

Dr. Napoleon Higgins is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist in Houston, Texas.  He is the CEO of Bay Pointe Behavioral Health Services and South East Houston Research Group. He is the president of Black Psychiatrists of Greater Houston, past president of the Caucus of Black Psychiatrists of the American Psychiatric Association, and past president of Black Psychiatrists of America. Dr. Higgins co-authored a number of books, including How Amari Learned to Love School Again: A Story about ADHD, Mind Matters: A Resource Guide to Psychiatry for Black Communities, and author of Transition 2 Practice: 21 Things Every Doctor Must Know In Contract Negotiations and the Job Search.  He also specializes in nutrition and health to improve the mental and physical lives of patients. He has worked with countless community mentoring programs and has a special interest in trauma, racism, and inner-city issues and how they affect minority and disadvantaged children and communities.

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain an understanding of mental health stigma in the Black community.
2. Learn about disclosing an ADHD diagnosis to family members or employers.
3. Learn about the role spirituality can play in ADHD treatment.
4. Gain strategies for obtaining a culturally sensitive ADHD treatment provider.
5. Learn the questions to ask providers for receiving a proper diagnosis.
6. Learn what newly diagnosed adults with ADHD need to do.