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They can do their sessions from the comfort of their own homes or schools without feeling like they are in a sterile office environment. Our schools are a microcosm of our communities and we need to start having these conversations and give them the permission to talk about these emotions. In the classroom, teachers can have morning meetings/check-ins, show students how to regulate themselves when they are having a bad day (i.e. breathing techniques), have calming corners, etc. In Black families in particular, there may not be a culture of talking about mental health or one’s feelings. Dr. Okoya referenced the “Stages of Change” Model where people need to be in “pre-contemplation” mode before they can begin to take action. Children spend the majority of their young lives in the school building and they are legally National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month mandated to be there until they are 16 years old.

This is a moment to seize and to bring about real change for improving youth mental health and well-being. “However, as we seek to recover from the multiple crises impacting young people, this is a moment to not go back to the status quo that left far too many children and young people behind. A full list of the youth participants, who represent a diverse array of backgrounds and experiences, and more information on the H3 Collective is available here.

• Dr. Okoya shared that the majority of young people who have attempted suicide had asked a friend for help before they tried anything.
• By addressing these challenges and promoting mental wellness, we can help Black youth thrive and reach their full potential.
• These generational and community traumas have collectively conspired to disconnect these young people from cultural protective factors that would serve as buffers to toxic stress and poor health and well-being.
• These barriers keep people from getting the mental health treatment they need, which has led to a substantial increase mental health issues and Black teen suicides.
• Adolescents who experience mental health symptoms that are more likely to be internalized such as depressive symptoms, or hidden, like substance abuse, may fly under the radar is not identified for treatment engagement (Bailey et al., 2019; Oser et al., 2016).

Place2Be’s Programme Leader for Family Work, Judah, reflects on the topic of belonging and why it’s so important to children,… Would you like to become a supporter for Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week? Help us make a difference in 2026 and explore our activities and fundraising resources! Thank you to all the schools, families and organisations who took part in Children’s Mental Health Week 2025! Read about taking part in the week if you’re taking part at home or in your local community group.

Can I get talking therapy from a charity or private therapist?

With that in mind, researchers and organizations are utilizing the institutions to find new ways to address mental health needs. Because therapists may be viewed as just “another doctor,” he believes it’s easier for his congregants to seek him out for support. He agrees that one of the main reasons why Black males avoid mental health providers is due to a general distrust in medical professionals. “Pastoring gives you a front row seat to the darkest moments of people’s lives and the brightest ones,” Dr. Pettus reflects.

Supporting Mental Health of Black Children and Youth

“Our young Black people are scared, worried, overwhelmed, and concerned about their place and space in the world,” says Jointer. In the three years between 2015 and 2018, major depressive episodes in Black teens increased by 14 percent, and suicide attempts by Black youth increased by 73 percent between 1991 and 2017. “In our society, we have marginalized and even ostracized those who struggle with mental health,” says Dr. Michael A. Lindsey, executive director of New York University’s McSilver Institute and a nationally recognized researcher on Black youth mental health. One in every three Black children in the United States has been exposed to two to eight adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which can have serious long-term effects on a person’s health for the rest of their lives. The normalization of trauma is far too common among Black youth, who data shows are at higher risk for mental health issues due to disproportionate exposure to illness, poverty, toxic stress, and racism. After an emergency morning meeting with school staff, Jointer’s team invited middle school students to a conversation circle to talk about the shooting.

Therefore, increased attention is needed to address mental health disparities that may be impacting Black adolescents. Black adolescents who live in urban, under-resourced environments are also at risk for poor mental health outcomes due to increased exposure to violence and other types of traumatic events (Gaylord et al., 2016; Opara et al., 2020a). Yet only 20–50% of adolescents receive services (Merikangas et al., 2010).

We chose this as the name for this platform as we want it to be somewhere not just for Black young people to get support, but to draw strength. Our blogs written by young people can help support your thinking on this topic. ‘How can adults respond well to Black young people looking to speak about their mental health? When it comes to mental health, we need to be better at reaching Black and minoritised young people.