It’s Hamilton’s first official Black Mental Health Week and for Terri Bedminster, the hope is to go beyond raising awareness and instead “raise the alarm.” 

“There is a steady increase in mental health issues impacting the families we serve,” said Bedminster, who directs Refuge Newcomer Health. 

Refuge is dedicated to reducing barriers to health care for new immigrants and refugees. It launched the mental health campaign alongside Blk Owned, which supports Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in and around Hamilton. 

In an interview Thursday, Bedminster said they took inspiration from other campaigns in cities such as Toronto, which established an annual Black mental health week in 2020.

The goal of the week is to call attention to the “very real and ongoing” mental health challenges Black communities in Hamilton face, she said.

“Black Mental Health Week will serve as a reminder that we must confront stigma, address systemic barriers, and ensure that culturally-responsive mental health care and meaningful community support are accessible to everyone,” Bedminister said.

Black Canadians less likely to use mental health services

A news release about the campaign cited data presented by the Canadian Mental Health Commission in 2021 finding Black people with poor mental health were less likely than white people to use mental health services. 

Between 2001 and 2014, the commission said, about 38 per cent of Black Canadian residents with poor or fair self-reported mental health used mental health services compared with about 50 per cent of white Canadian residents.

And with International Women’s Day approaching, Bedminster said, it’s important to note that Black women in particular experience significant challenges. About 23.5 per cent of Black women are diagnosed with a mental health condition and report some of the highest rates of major depressive episodes and anxiety, she said.

Ashleigh Montague, who directs Blk Owned, said in the news release that her organization’s work with Black entrepreneurs shows 62 per cent “report weekly depression,” with half citing cashflow as a major stressor. 

These statistics can’t be ignored, Bedminster told CBC Hamilton, and the goal is to go beyond raising awareness.

“We owe it to our community to respond in ways that matter,” she said.

For example, Refuge provides access to mental health services for entrepreneurs working with Blk Owned.

Another initiative that Bedminister said makes her smile is the Black Health Community Advisory Table, which Refuge is facilitating.

The table brings community members and organizations together to talk about issues and how to address them. It has a direct line to the Greater Hamilton Health Network, allowing members to connect with a range of health-care professionals.  

“That’s a safe space where we can come and talk about these issues and collectively decide how we address them,” Bedminster said.

Barriers to improving mental health in Black communities include resources and stigma attached to accessing services, Bedminster said, but addressing those is achievable.

“It’s just something that requires collaborating and working together.”