Black and African American individuals have experienced great progress when it comes to mental health support, but barriers to quality care still persist. These challenges exist all year round, but this February, you can honor Black History Month by exploring the importance of mental health in the Black community and taking actionable steps to remove these access barriers.
Below, we highlight existing challenges that Black individuals face in the mental health space and how you can help find practical solutions to culturally competent care for yourself or a loved one.
Black History Month
Cultural Competence
BIPOC Mental Health
Healthcare Access
In This Article
Discover why culturally competent mental health care matters for the Black community, explore common barriers to accessing treatment, learn about stressors unique to the Black experience, and find actionable steps toward healing and equitable care.
Black Americans and Mental Health: Why Culture Matters
The mental health challenges of this community are complex. They are the result of a number of nuanced factors, including historical trauma, social stigma, systemic racism and discrimination, socioeconomic inequities, and cultural influences. Whether you identify as a person of color, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, an immigrant, someone of a specific religion, or part of another group, one truth remains true: cultural identity shapes emotional expression and coping mechanisms.
Did You Know?
Cultural identity isn’t just background, it fundamentally shapes how we express emotions, process trauma, and develop coping mechanisms. This is why culturally competent care isn’t optional; it’s essential.
You can see these challenges reflected in the stark realities of mental health
within the Black community in the U.S.:
The Numbers Tell a Story
20%
of those with mental illness
1 in 3
Black adults receive treatment (only)
Source: 2023 U.S. Mental Health Data
Key Realities in Black Mental Health
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▸
Black adults in the U.S. are more likely to report persistent signs of emotional distress
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As of 2023, Black adults comprised an estimated 13% of the U.S. population but 20% of those living with mental illness
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Only one in three Black adults, on average, receives treatment, and are generally less likely to seek mental health treatment
Healthcare professionals must consider these critical factors as they provide care. Yet, many mental healthcare systems miss the cultural nuances that make individuals unique and shape their emotional needs. GoodTherapy’s Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) page, however, helps individuals find therapists who truly understand them and their backgrounds.
Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Care for Black Americans
Your mental health needs are specific to only you, but they often stem from cultural, historical, and intergenerational influences that people can’t control. For the Black community, cultural factors like segregation, discrimination, familial trauma, religious beliefs, and social pressures often keep folks from seeking care when they need it.
Key Insight
Cultural, historical, and intergenerational factors, including segregation, discrimination, and religious beliefs, create unique barriers that prevent many Black Americans from accessing the mental health care they deserve.
Understanding the Barriers
1
Historical Trauma
Systemic discrimination & segregation
2
Social Stigma
Cultural pressures & misconceptions
3
Socioeconomic Factors
Financial constraints & access issues
4
Lack of Representation
Limited culturally competent providers
Common Stressors in the Black Experience
Below are some common experiences that tend to add emotional and mental load on Black individuals. Being aware of these can help you better protect your well-being or support loved ones:
Code Switching
Changing important aspects about yourself to feel seen and accepted in certain spaces. Doing so repeatedly can take a toll on your well-being.
Avoiding Stereotypes
Not doing activities you enjoy in public because you’re afraid of falling into certain cultural stereotypes. The constant fear of being judged can harm your emotional health.
Fear of Systems
Many people of color feel afraid of cultural systems like law enforcement, judicial systems, medical facilities, and more if they’ve experienced systemic discrimination in those spaces.
Internalized Racism
Negative self-talk or internal thoughts that enforce negative beliefs about Black individuals. Doing so repeatedly can negatively impact your emotional well-being.
These are not the only factors that can impact Black mental health, but recognizing common ones is the first step in emotional healing. Expert therapists at GoodTherapy are prepared to help you acknowledge and work through these experiences, so you can start protecting your mental health for a better you.
What Is Culturally Competent Care and Why It Matters
Culturally competent therapy helps you feel validated, understood, and equipped to manage your emotional needs within your cultural identity. This approach is especially beneficial for those in marginalized communities, but it’s key to find a therapist who knows how to do this appropriately.
What Culturally Competent Care Looks Like
✓ Validates Your Experience
Acknowledges racism, discrimination, and cultural trauma as real factors
✓ Understands Context
Recognizes how systemic issues impact individual mental health
✓ Respects Cultural Identity
Values your traditions, beliefs, and community connections
✓ Adapts Approaches
Uses therapeutic techniques that align with your cultural worldview
✓ Creates Safe Space
Builds trust and allows you to be your authentic self
✓ Continuous Learning
Actively educates themselves on Black experiences and perspectives
Good therapists are not just professionals with experience: they’re people in your corner who really get you and your experiences. Culturally competent therapists can help Black individuals understand societal stressors specific to the Black experience and feel heard.
In one of our recent Member Spotlight interviews, we spoke to Dr. LaNail Plummer about the importance of addressing the unique elements of Black Mental Health. Her recent book, titled The Essential Guide for Counseling Black Women, explores this in more detail, helping both therapists and clients find culturally competent therapy that is unique to the Black experience.
Featured Expert:
Learn from Dr. LaNail Plummer’s expertise in our Member Spotlight interview about addressing unique elements of Black mental health.
Celebrating Healing and Resilience This Black History Month
Black History Month is all about celebrating the achievements of Black folks in U.S. history and the legacy they have today. This includes pioneers in mental health, such as:
Pioneers in Black Mental Health
Herman George Canady
The first psychologist to study the impact of race on IQ proctors
E. Kitch Childs
Founded the Association for Women in Psychology and helped found Chicago’s Gay Liberation Front
Mamie Phipps Clark & Kenneth Bancroft Clark
Helped uncover the data around the psychological effects of segregation on black youth
Beverly Green
A pioneer in Black history and published the landmark article “When the Therapist is White and the Patient is Black”
Celebrating people like these, and acknowledging Black mental health needs, helps us find solutions to better mental health services. Through advocacy and representation, mental health access and care for Black individuals improve, one conversation at a time.
Moving Towards Equitable, Compassionate Mental Health Care
The Black community is not the only group that experiences mistrust, fear, stigma, and systemic inequities when it comes to mental health. Yet, understanding the unique elements that influence Black mental health barriers is key to breaking them down.
Essential to this effort are culturally competent therapists: professionals who are eager, trained, and prepared to help you navigate your unique experiences and identities. If you’re ready to prioritize your mental well-being or support someone else, explore our GoodTherapy resources, like our Find Help Quiz, which helps you identify what care is best for you.
Your Path to Healing Starts Here
Step 2: Connect
Reach out to culturally competent providers
Step 3: Grow
Begin your healing journey with support
The preceding article was solely written by the author named above. Any views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the preceding article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment below.
