As many college students brace themselves for interrogations about college during Thanksgiving and winter break, one question that never appears to be asked is, ‘How’s your mental health?’. Psych Central reports that overall, 40% of Black college students experience mental health issues. However, they are half as likely to seek treatment as other students.   

Mental health in the Black community is an issue with conversation shortages and lacks the attention needed to provide resources to those who suffer.  According to Mental Health America, stigma and judgment surround those who seek treatment for their mental illness. Many are called ‘crazy,’ and others suggest that attending a church service often would fix the issue. The stigma is one of the many reasons why nearly 75% of Black college students tend to keep their struggles with depression to themselves.  

With mental health advocates ranging from professionals to celebrities, assistance and support are needed within smaller communities, such as families, to highlight the importance of seeking help and erasing the ‘crazy’ stigma. Communities can start with asking Black college students how they can assist with lessening the stress of attending an institution and how they can provide a safe space for those individuals. College students can also check out these eight mental health resources. 

 
 

Black Girls Smile

Black Girl Smiles’ mission is grounded in research, focus group findings, and personal experiences highlighting young Black women under-served and underrepresented mental health needs.  

Ourselves Black

Ourselves Black is a community platform that works to improve awareness of mental health issues among Black communities and provides solutions and actionable steps to improve mental health among both individuals and communities. 

The Steve Fund

This is an organization dedicated to the mental health and emotional well-being of students of color through crisis response and financial assistance. 

Young People of Color

Supported by The Steve Fund, this online forum is dedicated to improving the mental well-being of students of color. 

Rest for Resistance

A blog site for queer and trans people of color (QTPOC) that shares testimonials, fiction, and works of fiction that highlights the experience of QTPOC in America today.  

Hey Jason!

A podcast that celebrates the lives and vulnerabilities of Black men through the open discussion of mental health and social topics that have traditionally been stigmatized among the Black community. 

Therapy for Black Girls Podcast

Therapy for Black GIrls focuses on the overall well-being of Black girls, covering any and everything that falls under holistic care.  

BEAM

The Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective work to decrease the stigma of mental illness in the Black community while also providing helpful recovery resources.  Live Another Day, an online resource that provides a second chance to members of the BIPOC community who have any mental illness, created this list along with over 20 more resources. Its mission is to reduce preventable deaths and save lives. As Black college students and members of the Black community, it is imperative to put our health first. 

Blavity U Ambassador Lashaunta Moore is a Graduate student at Columbia College Chicago, studying entrepreneurship for creatives. With a bachelor's degree in media communication, she's also a freelance journalist and digital content producer who enjoys writing about all forms of news.