Black & Brown Mental Health: Facts & Awareness

Mental health is health. Yet in Black and Brown communities, silence, stigma, and systemic barriers often keep us from seeking help. We are carrying heavy loads — trauma, racism, poverty, generational wounds — but too often told to “just be strong.” That silence costs lives.

• Black and Hispanic/Latino adults are less likely to receive mental health treatment compared to white adults.
   
• Black adults are 20% more likely to report serious psychological distress, yet face greater barriers to culturally competent care.
   
• Suicide rates are rising fastest among Black youth compared to other groups.
   
• Discrimination and racism are directly linked to higher anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms in communities of color.
   

Certain phrases silence us instead of supporting us. Here are a few that keep the stigma alive:

• “Pray it away.”
   
• “Black/Brown folks don’t get depressed.”
   
• “Just be strong.”
   
• “That’s white people problems.”
   
• “We don’t talk about that outside this house.”
   

These sayings minimize pain and teach people to hide instead of heal. Faith and strength are powerful, but they should walk with therapy and support, not replace them.

• Breath work: 4-7-8 breathing (inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8) calms the nervous system.
   
• Movement: Walking, stretching, dancing — the body moves stress out.
   
• Journaling: Writing thoughts down clears space in the mind.
   
• Boundaries: Saying no, unplugging from draining spaces, and protecting your peace.
   
• Community: Talking with safe people — a friend, a doula, a support circle — breaks isolation.
   
• Professional Support: Therapy, counseling, or peer support from providers who understand cultural identity and trauma.
   

• Therapy for Black Girls – therapyforblackgirls.com
   
• Therapy for Black Men – therapyforblackmen.org
   
• LatinX Therapy – latinxtherapy.com
   
• The Loveland Foundation (therapy funding for Black women & girls) – thelovelandfoundation.org
   
• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Dial 988 (24/7 support in the U.S.)
   

Taking care of your mind does not make you weak — it makes you whole. Black and Brown communities deserve mental health care that honors our stories, affirms our culture, and holds space for both our pain and our power.