Mental Health Perception in Black Communities in Canada: The Intergenerational Differences Between Youth and Parents
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Mental health remains a critical concern within the Black communities in Canada, influenced by systemic racism, stigma, and cultural beliefs. Despite the importance and influence of intergenerational perspectives in seeking and use of care, research in this area is scarce. This study identifies mental health perceptions among Black youth and parents and examines how stigma, cultural beliefs, and experiences of racism influence these perceptions. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 32 Black youth aged 15 to 24, (mean age = 20.69 years, SD = 2.25) and 27 Black parents (mean age = 44.88, SD = 10.40) from May 2021 to April 2023. Interviews conducted via Zoom were transcribed and analyzed inductively and thematically using multiple rounds of coding, allowing themes to emerge organically without being guided by predetermined categories. Analysis identified three key themes showing important differences between Black youth and parents: (a) an acculturation gap characterized by older generations’ adherence to cultural norms and stigma surrounding mental health, (b) differing perceptions of stressors between youth and parents, with older generations prioritizing financial challenges and minimizing emotional struggles, and (c) youth-driven motivation for change, emphasizing greater mental health awareness and openness for future generations. Youth reported barriers to discussing mental health with older family members due to stigma, concerns about family reputation, and cultural expectations of resilience. This study highlights significant intergenerational differences in mental health perceptions within Black Canadians, shaped by acculturation, values, and social expectations. While older generations often prioritize cultural preservation, resilience, and privacy and minimize mental health struggles, youth are advocating for change.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.002 | 0.003 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.001 | 0.002 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.015 | 0.003 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.003 | 0.001 |
| Open science | 0.001 | 0.003 |
| Research integrity | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.002 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".