Living Black with Undiagnosed and Untreated ADHD

The Black community continues to have difficulty discussing and acknowledging ADHD and other mental health issues. On the flip side, it’s being reported that Black children are being over- and under-diagnosed, due to implicit racial bias and cultural incompetence among professionals. So, how do we change the mindset of Black Americans about mental health issues and culturally insensitive educators and healthcare providers? Dr. Brandi Walker provides insight into the Black community’s reluctance to discuss mental health matters, myths about diagnosis and treatment, the consequences of undiagnosed and untreated ADHD, and much more.

Major Brandi Walker, PhD is an active-duty officer in the Army’s Medical Services Corps, serving as a clinical psychologist at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She is a recent graduate of Howard University's clinical psychology program, where she specialized in children, adolescents, and families. She obtained a master’s in rehabilitative counseling from the University of Maryland, College Park, and has held licensure as a graduate-level, licensed alcohol and drug counselor, and certified rehabilitation counselor. An advocate for research, Walker currently leads a nationwide community health study on ADHD and sleep in the pediatric population.