When it is and why it matters
Juneteenth is observed on June 19. It marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned that they were free, more than two months after the end of the Civil War and more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It became a federal holiday in 2021.
Juneteenth is a celebration of Black freedom, resilience, and community. It is also an occasion to name the ongoing mental health consequences of structural racism, which did not end in 1865 and continue to shape the lives and wellbeing of Black Americans today.
This article approaches Black mental health with cultural humility. Black communities are not monolithic. The experiences described here reflect patterns documented in research, not universal experiences. We recognize that Black Americans hold a wide range of perspectives, traditions, and identities.
What the research says
Research documents both the mental health challenges facing Black Americans and the systemic factors that drive them:
- In 2024, Black and African American adults were 36% less likely than U.S. adults overall to have received mental health treatment in the past year (Office of Minority Health, 2024). This gap reflects barriers to access, not a lower need for support.
- Structural racism, including residential segregation, unequal access to healthcare, wealth gaps, and exposure to community violence, is consistently associated with worse mental health outcomes for Black people (PMC, 2022).
- Research shows that structural racism may trigger neurobiological stress responses similar to those caused by individual trauma, with effects on dopamine regulation and stress-hormone systems (Psychiatry News, 2023).
- Cultural mistrust of healthcare institutions, rooted in a history of medical mistreatment and experimentation, is a documented barrier to Black Americans seeking mental health care (McLean Hospital, 2024).
These findings do not describe personal deficits. They describe the cumulative effects of systems. Any meaningful conversation about Black mental health must start there.
Groups for Black mental health in our directory
Our directory includes support groups that center the mental health needs of Black adults, including groups facilitated by Black therapists and mental health professionals. These groups offer a space where members do not have to explain the context of their lives before getting to the substance of what they need to discuss.
We also list general mental health support groups that welcome people of all backgrounds. If cultural specificity matters to you in a support context, look for groups whose facilitators and stated focus reflect that.
Browse by topic, format, or facilitator to find what fits.
How to choose a group
- Facilitator background. For some people, being in a group led by a Black therapist or a therapist with demonstrated cultural competence is important. Check the facilitator’s background in the listing.
- Group composition. Some groups are explicitly for Black adults. Others are racially mixed. Depending on what you need, either may work. Consider what kind of context you want to bring to the group.
- Topic focus. Some groups address race-based stress or racial trauma specifically. Others focus on depression, anxiety, or grief without a specific racial lens. Both can be valuable, depending on what you want to work on.
- Trust your instincts. If a group does not feel like the right fit after a few sessions, that information is useful. You are not obligated to stay in a group that does not feel culturally safe.
Other resources
- Therapy for Black Girls: therapyforblackgirls.com: therapist directory, podcast, and community for Black women and girls
- Therapy for Black Men: therapyforblackmen.org: therapist directory and resources for Black men
- Black Mental Health Alliance: blackmentalhealth.com: education, advocacy, and training on Black mental health
- Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation: borislhensonfoundation.org: resources and community to destigmatize mental health in the Black community
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988: available 24/7 in multiple languages
Frequently asked questions
What is racial trauma and how does it affect mental health?
Racial trauma, sometimes called race-based traumatic stress, refers to the emotional and psychological harm that can result from experiences of racism, discrimination, and racial violence. This includes direct experiences of racism, witnessing racism against others, and the chronic stress of living in a society where structural racism shapes everyday life. Research shows that racial trauma can produce symptoms similar to PTSD, including hypervigilance, avoidance, and intrusive thoughts.
Why are Black Americans less likely to access mental health care?
The gap is not about need or willingness. It reflects structural barriers: cost, lack of culturally competent providers, geographic access, and a well-founded mistrust of healthcare institutions rooted in historical abuses. Stigma within some communities also plays a role, though it is decreasing. Mental health organizations and advocates are working to expand access to care that is actually culturally responsive.
Are support groups a culturally appropriate form of support for Black communities?
Community-based support is deeply embedded in many Black cultural traditions, including church communities, mutual aid networks, and extended family structures. Support groups can align with those values when they are led by facilitators who understand the cultural context and when members feel genuinely seen. Not every group will feel like a fit, and that is worth acknowledging.
How do I find a Black therapist?
Therapy for Black Girls (therapyforblackgirls.com) and Therapy for Black Men (therapyforblackmen.org) both maintain therapist directories. Psychology Today’s therapist finder also allows filtering by therapist identity. NAMI and SAMHSA also offer referral services. If cost is a barrier, community mental health centers often offer sliding-scale fees.
What if I am not Black but want to support Black mental health?
Supporting Black mental health as a non-Black person can include learning about racial trauma and its effects, examining your own assumptions about who needs mental health support and why, and supporting organizations led by Black mental health advocates. If you are a therapist, pursuing training in cultural humility and race-based stress is meaningful. Support groups for Black people are not typically the right space for non-Black individuals to process their allyship.
References
Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2024). Mental health and Black/African Americans. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/mental-and-behavioral-health-blackafrican-americans
PMC. (2022). How is mental health in late life shaped by structural racism? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9766608/
Psychiatric News. (2023). The mental health impact of racism on Black communities. Psychiatric News. https://www.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.07.7.18
McLean Hospital. (2024). Black mental health matters: Awareness, access, and action. https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/black-mental-health
The Group Guide is a directory. Group leaders write their own listings, and we do not vet, supervise, or endorse the groups listed here. We are not a clinic and we do not provide clinical services or guarantee outcomes. That is the group’s work, not ours. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.