One in five lives with a mental health condition. This applies to all genders, ethnicities, and people of different socioeconomic statuses. Yet, there are challenges and barriers to the way the Black community approaches mental health challenges.

Notably, there is a strong stigma about mental health in the Black community. As a consequence, even though Black adults in the U.S. are more likely to report symptoms of emotional distress than white adults, according to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, only one in three Black adults receive the mental health services that they need, compared with 40% of White counterparts, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Mental Health Facts for African Americans guide. This disparity is even more significant among Black individuals who live below the poverty line.

The causes of this discrepancy is a complex situation involving intergenerational trauma, religious beliefs, racial trauma, PTSD, socioeconomic disparities, and more.

As we celebrate Black History Month and the great contributions made by Black pioneers to the mental health community, it is important that we improve the mental health of the Black Community by having positive conversations regarding mental health concerns, expanding educational efforts toward the community and advocating for local quality services for all.

Help to encourage a more inclusive society where mental health is not ignored or stigmatized, but embraced as a normal part of our lives and a reminder that regardless of where you are in your mental health journey, you are not alone!

For Black and African American specific resources, please see the following list provided by Mental Health America:

Mental Health America Resources For Black And African Americans

Bipolar Disorder And African Americans

Depression And African Americans

Black And African American Communities And Mental Health

The Association of Black Psychologists, Inc.

Other Scholarly Resources

In Our Own Voice: African-American Stories of Oppression, Survival, and Recovery in Mental Health Systems
by Vanessa Jackson

Chapter 3: Mental Health Care for African Americans
(Chapter from Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity: A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General), Department of Health and Human Services

Pathways to Integrated Health Care: Strategies for African American Communities and Organizations
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health

African American Men and Women's Attitude Toward Mental Illness, Perceptions of Stigma, and Preferred Coping Behaviors
by Ward, Wiltshire, Detry & Brown