Mental Health Treatment-Seeking Appraisal, Afrocentric Cultural Norms, and Mental Health Functioning: Buffering Factors of Young Black Men's Externalizing Behavior.

Background: Depression rates are disproportionately high among Black American Men. This disparity--compounded by low mental healthcare seeking rates and high incorrect diagnosis rates in men--could be related to masculine norms, including self-reliance, restrictive emotionality, and stoicism. Furthermore, men are more likely to engage in externalized behavior, such as aggression, to cope with mental health challenges; this pattern is influenced by cultural and environmental factors.