JOHN, MARY ELISABETH, M.A. Lone Survivor: Linking Institutionalized Racial Adversity, Lived Experiences and Mental Health Conditions among African Americans.(2018) Directed by Dr. Cindy B. Dollar. 62 pp. Historically, African Americans have practiced self-concealment and utilized alternative forms of mental health treatment such as social support and religious mediation. Using strain theory and labeling theory, I illustrate the potential role of cumulative stress and stigmatization in help-seeking behaviors of African American men and women. In addition to this theoretical approach, I conduct a mixed-methods analysis using the National Survey on Drug Use and Health's 2015 report and fifteen qualitative interviews from individuals who self-identify as experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. With these interviews, I identify six commonly-referenced themes mentioned by participants: identity struggle, stigmatization, distrust of medical providers, image maintenance, religious assumptions/ideologies and dismissal.

These themes lead to my defining of the lone survivor and consideration of its social, emotional and psychological implications.