For Black communities, and especially Black men, mental health can often be a taboo subject, but actor Courtney Vance is fighting to bring the issue out of the shadows.
A May 8 webinar, hosted by the Give Black Alliance — formerly New England Blacks in Philanthropy — featured the award-winning stage and screen performer along with psychologist Robin L. Smith as they discussed their book “The Invisible Ache,” which was published in November.
The book — part memoir of Vance’s own struggles with his mental health as he coped with the death of both his father and godson by suicide, part psychology guidebook — is a tool that both authors said they hope will guide people to take the first step in addressing mental health challenges.
Making a shift to treat mental health as an everyday consideration is an important step that could help care, said Dr. Christine Crawford, a psychiatrist at Boston Medical Center, during a separate interview.
Often, she said, she sees people come into the hospital seeking help only when they’re facing a moment of crisis, not as a preventive measure. That approach can complicate care for that patient and the system overall.
Crawford, who has a background in child psychiatry, also said she thinks work to address mental health in Black communities needs to start early.
Read more at BayStateBanner.com.
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