Notes

• Ongoing systemic, interpersonal and internalized oppressions gravely impact the physical, mental, emotional, creative and spiritual health of Black & diverse womxn. 

• The rate of depression among Black womxn is almost 50 percent higher than among their White counterparts. 

• The risk of dying before the age of 60 from either heart disease or stroke is four times higher for Black womxn than it is for White womxn.

• Black womxn have less access to health-care services and to resources for self-education.

• Black womxn are at greater risk of dying from early-stage breast cancer when compared with women of other races and ethnicities

• The Black Caribbean womxn are at risk of mental health illness due to a number of chronic stressors affecting the community such as  racism, adjusting to new social rules and values, economic disadvantage, and failing to meet prior expectations.

 

Baseline Relationship with Healthcare

Participants were of Caribbean, African, South American, South Asian and mixed race heritage.

• 100% were concerned about achieving improved health

• 30% were actively pursuing wholistic health for themselves

• 80% had prior negative experiences with the phyiscal and mental health care system in Ontario sighting incidents of racism  mysogyny, ableism, classism, sanism and other forms of discrimination that made them reluctant to access health resources

• 25% lived in poverty

• 65% did not have a family doctor

• 50% received support from family and community members to help negotiate the healthcare system

• 90% had better health-care results when they were treated with respect and care from their health-care practitioners however, they noted, this was few and far between

• 95% believed they experienced some form of discrimination while seeking healthcare

• 80% percent tried to avoid going to the doctor

• 60% percent saught alternative healing modalities

• 75% percent identified as practicing some form of art making

• 5% percent had prior experience with arts-based health intervention

• 100% percent of the participants identified with feeliings of depressions, sadness, lonliness and anxiety on a regular basis

• 95% percent of participants expressed experiencing feelings of guilt, shame and lack of self-worth around their depression

• 40% of participants had prior experience with a therapist

• 100% of participants expressed excitement at trying the Anitafrika Method as an arts-based health intervention

 

Relationship with Self-Care After Participating in The Anitafrika Method 

 

• 100% of participants reported being inspired and encouraged to increase personal self-care after learning and practicing the Anitafrika Sorplusi Method 

• 100% percent of participants expressed having deep feelings of self-actualization, self worth and self love after taking the Anitafrika Method Intensive

• 100% of participants would incorporate an ongoing arts-based health intervention routine as a fundamental part of their personal care program