Mental Health America reports that over 7 million Black people have experienced a mental illness in the past year. And according to a 2022 study from the University of Houston, the highest death rate among Black Americans is between the ages of 25 and 34.
While more are seeking help, negative stigmas remain in the Black community that steers some to avoid it altogether.
“You cannot heal what you don’t reveal,” said Tallahassee marriage and family therapist Jane Marks. “If you cannot put language on a situation, there is no way you’re going to be able to take care of it. We all deserve to be happy.”
Both Black millennials, adults born between 1981-1996, and Gen Z, those born between 1997-2012, are starting to be known as generational curse breakers. Young Black adults have been unlearning so-called toxic traits, one of which is refusing to seek help with mental health issues.
Mama’s “What goes on in the house, stays in the house’’ and grandma’s “pray it away’’ mantras are no longer cutting it. Many minority millennials find themselves going to therapy for the sake of the generation they are raising up behind them.
Black therapists and psychologists also are using social media outlets such as TikTok and Instagram to provide informational posts and videos. Popular hashtags such as #blackmentalhealth and #blackmentalhealthmatters have emerged, and mental health professionals are actively participating in social media challenges to get their points across.
Read more at TheWeeklyChallenger.com.
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