Mental health is essential to living our lives at optimal levels. The state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being impacts every aspect of our lives. When it comes to the issues of mental wellness in the Black community, the topic is complex with race playing a central role.

Addressing the topic, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has declared that “racism is a serious threat to public health that has placed communities of color at greater risk for poor health outcomes.” To that point, Black people are far less likely to seek care. According to CDC statistics, about 25% of African Americans seek mental health treatment, compared to 40% of white Americans.

A contributing factor to this continuing healthcare disparity is access. The latest census reported that around 10% of Black people in the U.S. do not have health insurance, in comparison to 5.2% of non-Hispanic white people.

To bring attention to the critical importance of mental wellness, BET.com  spoke with Dr. LaNail R. Plummer, CEO of the Onyx Therapy Group. 

While there’s research on the stigma of Black folks accessing mental health, Plummer has noticed a rise in the request for services.

“There's been an incline and an influx of Black folks engaging in mental health services, and I think it varies by age group and generation. We still see that some of our boomers are still a little hesitant to participate in therapy. They're more likely to do such if they have somebody in the therapy session with them, so they are likely to participate if it's couples therapy or family therapy,” Plummer said. “I think that's because they are socialized to be part of a healing community.”

“In Gen Z, we recognize that they are participating in therapy a whole lot more. Millennials who were introduced to concepts like work-life balance, wholeness, and holistic approaches, seem to be a more health-conscious generation, and they are passing that down to maybe their younger siblings and cousins who are in Gen Z,” she continued. “We're noticing that there are a lot of students who are participating in counseling at the community centers, who are getting referrals into private practices and agencies as well.”

One troubling trend that Plummer has noticed is that the current political climate is having devastating effects on Black people in general and Black women in particular.

“A lot of  Black women are being triggered from our historical past. So there's a lot of ancestral trauma and elder-based trauma, that is what we're starting to experience, which means that we're triggered, and the emotion that we have is fear,” she explained.

“Shortly after the election results, we saw a lot of clients thinking of moving outside of the United states, where they would be welcomed as Black people. They were thinking of other places where they could still work in the US, but have a remote position so that they can extend their money and their savings.”

One of the critical components of mental health is prioritizing wellness and self-care. Plummer offered some suggestions that anyone can include in their daily routine to make wellness a priority in their lives.

“There’s a difference between mental health and mental wellness. Mental health is focused on the medicinal aspect. Wellness is focused on what is going well and how to make more of that,” Plummer said.  “With that in mind, some of the wellness tips would be to just continue to do the things that you find joy doing.”

“It’s like the quote from years ago that ‘Black joy is the revolution.’ If you like going for a walk, go for more walks. If you like coloring, get some more coloring books. No matter how old we are, we can find the joy in the things that have always brought us pleasure.”

Another facet on our wellness journey is cultivating thriving communal practices. According to Plummer, being in community has the potential to heal us from the inside out.

“We are communal people like our ancestors were communal. So instead of taking that trip to Cabo, we instead organize a weekend with our friends that's local. We get to talk, play games, and lean back into community wellness,” Plummer said. “We also have to make sure we're getting enough rest. After drinking enough water, the next thing that our bodies body needs the most is rest. In these times, folks are so stressed and anxious that they're not getting enough sleep.”

“So again, wellness is about identifying what already works in your life and expounding that by increasing the intensity and the frequency of that experience.”