On December 29, 2025, the body of the founding editor and writer of The Source, James Bernard, was discovered after disappearing for 17 months. He died at 58, and his sister Emily Bernard, who confirmed the death, said he died by suicide. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, in 2024, Black adults were 36% less likely than U.S. adults overall to have received mental health treatment in the past year.
While the data presents the numbers, it fails to explain how we arrived at this point, highlighting a larger conversation about the moral failings involved. When it comes to the disparities Black men face regarding mental health, the list goes on, and the question remains: how can we create a better change and avoid this outcome?
According to the CDC, the suicide rate among males in 2023 was approximately four times higher than the rate among females. Males make up 50% of the population, but nearly 80% of suicides. In light of these troubling trends, experts emphasize that effective mental health support requires not just services, but also acceptance and a space in which Black men and boys feel comfortable acknowledging their struggles.
“Mental health support, first of all, requires an acceptance and a space to acknowledge that mental health support is acceptable and is a part of someone’s overall health and well-being,” said Nicholas K. Young, Licensed Psychotherapist. “For the healthcare system to invest in the mental health of Black men, it has to divest from negative narratives about Black men. It has to disassociate from these ideas that Black men are angry, defiant and antisocial.”
It’s no secret that Black men face cultural challenges that can deeply impact mental health. Statistics share that they are more likely to witness or experience violence than their white peers. For Black youth, they are also more frequently targets of discrimination and racism, whether on a personal or systemic level. This type of exposure often leads to feelings of hopelessness, depression and anxiety. The age range of Black men who die by suicide varies widely, as illustrated by the stories of James Bernard and Kyren Lacy.
Lacy was a 24-year-old football player in the Southeastern Conference and a senior at Louisiana State University. He aspired to be drafted into the NFL. However, in the final months of his college career, Lacy was charged with negligent homicide and felony hit-and-run in connection with a fatal accident. The incident led to commotion on social media, where Lacy was exposed to some people defending him, and others described him as a killer and said he needed to be in prison.
Months later, Lacy died by suicide 48 hours before being presented at a grand jury hearing. In October 2025, his lawyer, Matt Ory, revealed in an interview that investigators had determined that Lacy had not caused the crash. His vehicle was 72 yards away from the fatal accident. “His mind was made,” Ory said. “Social media killed him.”
Although systemic barriers significantly affect Black men, and the media has historically played a role in shaping Black identity, social media has now become a major influence on how Black youth perceive themselves and can also trigger mental health issues. “20 years ago, the media in the United States had always been used as a tool to get the Black mind to see itself negatively, but you had to be in front of the TV [or] reading a magazine or newspaper,” Young told EBONY.
“Now all of that is on your phone, they’re constantly inundated with these images of Black people being unalived, see Black men, associate their worth with access to money, women, cars and clothes and it creates this sense of insecurity that you’re not good enough, that your family isn’t good enough, where you live isn’t good enough, that you’re not that you’re not worthy.”
According to the National Library of Medicine, only 19 empirical studies focusing on depression among African American men were identified in a 25-year time span. Findings suggest the prevalence of depression among African American men ranges from 5% to 10%, and they face several risk factors, yet show low use of mental health services. Consequently, depression among African American men needs to be at the forefront of our research, practice and outreach agendas.
“Black people, and more specifically Black men, are left out of the data,” said Crystal S. Zanders, Mental Health Provider at Maven Clinic. “This means that in research studies, individuals on the margins are frequently excluded as research participants. There is a huge gap in research related to suicide among Black men.”
The untimely deaths of individuals like Bernard and Lacy reveal the urgent need for a comprehensive reevaluation of how mental health is approached within the Black community, specifically among men. The stigma surrounding mental health, compounded by societal narratives that often portray men in a negative light, contributes to a cycle of silence and suffering. It is crucial to create an environment, whether in-person or digitally, where mental health discussions are normalized and support is readily accessible.
“Black men have to first of all be understood as human in the healthcare system, and listening to them, making forums where their voices are heard in front of clinicians and doctors, and going out of your way to survey Black men and do research on their experiences,” Young said.
As Black youth navigate a more public space of both inspiration and harmful comparisons, it’s essential to promote messages of self-acceptance and accessibility. “Reforms require the creativity of mental health professionals and advocates, who should identify and partner with critical access points. Simply put, we need to go where Black men are,” Zanders said. “These critical access points include barbershops and gyms. Human resources teams should host workshops that explain employee benefits, such as Maven or other employee assistance programs, with a focus on mental health and well-being.”
Advocacy for mental health services that specifically address the unique challenges faced by Black men is key. Only through intentional conversation, community support and targeted research can we hope to close the gap in mental health treatment and prevent further tragedies.