Why Black employees aren't comfortable asking for mental health support

Black employees are stressed — but feel forced to stay silent.

The events of the past year have added emotional strain for Black and BIPOC employees, leading to increased instances of anxiety and depression. Half of Black employees said they have struggled with their mental health during the pandemic, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, yet less than 5% have sought out care.

Black employees feel silenced because of fear and stigma around discussing their mental health, says Patrick Roland, a licensed social worker for OnlineTherapy.com, a virtual therapy directory. One study found that 63% of Black people think poor mental health is a sign of weakness.

Read more: Black and LatinX mothers falling off the career track during COVID

“When you don't feel seen and understood by your country at large, you don't get help,” Roland says. “There’s a cultural aversion to it along with the stigma, fear, rage and the hurt of what’s going on right now.”

We spoke with Roland to learn how employers can address mental health issues among Black employees and empower them to speak out about their struggles.

How do our workplace conversations around mental health exclude Black and BIPOC employees?

In the Black community, people don't often seek treatment because there's a lack of trust. People go to therapy because they want to feel seen and heard and understood. In the Black community, the trauma is so deep seated and they don't feel seen by other people. So it's just ingrained in them not to talk about their problems.

At work, people are suffering and going to work and having mental health issues and not dealing with them. They may feel like they don’t know how people will react. That creates a constant inner dialogue of confusion, fear and anger.

How can employers start a conversation if they sense their employee is struggling?

An employer has to create a dialogue where the employee feels empowered to ask for help and then give them the space to do that. You should know your employee. Maybe you'd ask some questions to get the employee to talk about their experience in their words, because you don't want to put words in somebody's mouth. This is about empowering people to amplify their voices and share their stories in a way that they feel seen and heard.

With the efforts employers have made in addressing mental health, are they doing enough for their Black employees?

We have to do better. We have to do better in a way that makes people feel like they can be themselves. I don't think this is a one-size-fits-all approach. You have to consider the undercurrent of trauma. There needs to be compassion. There needs to be dialogue. There needs to be understanding.