A series of workshops called ‘It’s Time to Talk’ launched on the 19th May in time for Mental Health Awareness Week. The campaign was created by "Find A Balance", a charity that supports the mental health of Black and Minority Ethnic people.
In 2019, the suicide rates for men residing in England and Wales reached an all-time high. Young men of Black African or Black Caribbean descent are at a higher risk of suicide than their white counterparts.
The Nuffield Foundation reported that thoughts of death are a third higher in BME groups than in people of other ethnicities, especially during the global pandemic. Three factors, in particular, have only exacerbated the suicide rate of young Black men; catching COVID, becoming unemployed, and stressful financial situations.
From low self-esteem to anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia, ‘It’s Time to Talk’ events aim to help young Black men between the ages of 18 and 35 tackle mental health issues.
The free workshops are hosted online, with therapists and speakers that will answer questions surrounding the mental health problem that Black men are facing.
The workshops are running weekly until August 6. They are spread across Wednesdays, for 18-25 year olds, and Fridays, for 26 to 35 year olds.
If you are struggling with mental illness, there are resources and people that will help you. The ‘It’s Time to Talk’ campaign could create fundamental change within your life. To learn more about the workshops, visit the Find A Balance website.