Black Mental health Awareness Day

Taking this important step will lead healthcare professionals to work collectively to ensure that Black Ontarians can access pathways to allow them to live healthy lives. The first Monday in March in each year is proclaimed as Black Mental Health Day.

Black individuals are often impacted by microaggression, racism, discrimination and inequity, which can affect psychological well-being and increase their risk of mental illness. In addition, Black individuals face a number of barriers when it comes to accessing care, including increased wait times and simply finding a Black mental health professional who can relate to their experience or understand their point of view. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Black Canadians are also more likely to experience challenges in finding family physicians, who often serve as an important gateway to mental health care.

These experiences, as well as the absence of culturally-appropriate services and resources that specifically support Black communities within Canada, result in many people struggling alone and in silence.