February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of Black and African American communities and individuals, and an opportunity to acknowledge how Black history, culture, leadership, and innovation have helped shape all facets of life in the United States. This year, the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) celebrates Black History Month with its 2025 theme, Advancing Commitments to Eliminate Health Disparities. This theme highlights a renewed commitment to eliminate health disparities affecting ethnic and racial communities, including Black/African American populations.
Ringing the Alarm on Black Youth Mental Health
A 2019 report to Congress, Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America, from the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Task Force on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health, shed light on the growing mental crisis facing Black children and teenagers. The report called for immediate action to address this alarming trend. Findings included:
- Black youth under 13 years are twice as likely to die by suicide, and when compared by sex, Black males, 5 to 11 years, are more likely to die by suicide compared to their White peers.
- Suicide attempts rose by 73% between 1991-2017 for Black adolescents (boys and girls), while injury by attempt rose by 122% for Black adolescent boys during that period.
Since the report's release, overall youth suicide rates have declined. However, suicide rates and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among racial and ethnic minority groups tell a different story. Black youth, in particular, continue to face significant disparities in mental health outcomes.
Data from the 2018–2021 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) showed that mental health-related emergency department visits were higher among Black youths than their Hispanic and White counterparts. According to data shared by the Pew Charitable Trust, the suicide rate among Black youth aged 10 to 19 surpassed that of their White peers for the first time in 2022. This marked a 54% increase since 2018, compared to a 17% decrease among white youth. Furthermore, data from the CDC’s school-based survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YBRS), showed that Black students had a higher prevalence of attempted suicide (10.3%) compared to White students (8.3%).
Black Youth Mental Health
Risk Factors
In the United States, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death, with approximately 48,000 Americans dying from suicide each year. For Black children and adolescents, suicide is the second leading cause of death among Black youth aged 10-14 years, and the third leading cause of death of Black adolescents aged 15-19 years. Watch this video from former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy to learn about the mental health risk factors that contribute to this growing mental health crisis in Black children and adolescents.
Action
OMH launched its Demonstrating Policy Effectiveness to Promote Black Youth Mental Health Initiative in 2022. Through this initiative, OMH awarded grants to organizations and health departments in eight states—Arizona, California, Louisiana, Georgia, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, and Rhode Island. These organizations are piloting policy efforts to enhance Black youth mental health, including suicide prevention.
The organizations work with community members and partners to develop policy recommendations aimed at supporting access to mental health care and promoting overall wellness. Project teams work to identify policies to expand capacity for addressing early signs of mental health challenges and crises, referral to the appropriate mental health professionals, and ensuring follow-up care. Some of the emerging policy recommendations include:
- Mental health training programs
- Mental health referral system
- Youth mental health peer educators
- Universal mental health screening
- School-wide youth-led policy advisory groups
- Cell phone access policy to reduce online bullying and promote digital wellbeing
Award recipients are also working in juvenile justice and public health settings to strengthen the integration of mental health awareness and treatment options in non-clinical settings. These efforts include considerations for incorporating youth in solution-focused efforts to improve mental health outcomes.
Policy Impact
Early findings are promising, with indications of:
- Increased referrals for mental health screenings
- Expanded school-based mental health service capacity
- Increased mental health education and community resources for parents
The policy innovations and related resources, toolkits, training curriculum, and publications, are an important part of a system of care and practice for promoting youth mental health and wellness.
OMH remains steadfast in its mission to eliminate health and mental health disparities among minority groups, including Black youth. As we celebrate Black History Month, let’s reaffirm our collective commitment to advancing approaches that support the mental health and well-being of racial and ethnic populations, including Black youth. By investing in their futures today, we are helping to create healthier generations tomorrow.