The Charlotte Post Foundation will host a webinar on May 25 on mental health in the Black community.

The forum, which starts at 6:30 p.m., will include Atrium Health outpatient psychotherapist Russell Hancock, psychologistAndrea Cochran, and mental health advocate Fonda Bryant, a suicide survivor, on the panel.

Mental illness is defined as health conditions that cause a change in emotion, thinking, behavior, or a combination of the three according to the American Psychiatric Association. These illnesses can be associated with distress or trouble functioning with social, home, or work activities.

One study showed that 63% of Blacks deem a mental health condition as a personal weakness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

During the global coronavirus pandemic, African Americans have had to witness many social injustices play out while fighting to maintain their physical and mental health.

In 2020, about 21% of adults experienced a mental illness and 46% of adults in the United States with a mental illness received treatment according to National Alliance on Mental Illness. Surprisingly, Black boys ages 5-12 years old are more likely to die by suicide than any other age group.

Bryant, founder of the nonprofit Wellness Action Recovery, will share her personal experience with suicide 27 years ago and how she is spreading the word that “mental health is everybody’s business.” Bryant wrote and established the first Mental Health Proclamation for the city of Charlotte which was read at a city council meeting earlier this month.  

At the end of the webinar, there will be an audience Q&A session followed by a call to action to address the crisis.

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