ABOUT VIRTUAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT COACHING

THE NEED FOR THE VMHSC PROGRAM

The MHSC program was developed in response to the prevalence of stress, loneliness, depression, and grief that negatively impacts the mental health and well-being of adults and youth, particularly those living in low-income, unsafe, minoritized, and/or food-insecure communities. Other sources of impetus for developing this program include:

• The unavailability and unaffordability of mental health counseling in lower-income communities
• The often culture-related stigma toward seeking mental health counseling that exists among many Black adults and youth
• The alarming rates of suicide and suicide attempts among Black youth

Notably, in 2021 suicide was the third leading cause of death among Black youth between the ages of 10 to 24 years old. The CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 1991 to 2017 demonstrated that suicide attempts among Black youth increased by 73% over that period, while attempts among every other racial/ethnic group decreased. Black adults show similar alarming trends. From 2018 to 2021, it was found that for adults ages 25 to 44 years old, suicide rates increased by 22.9% among Blacks.

These statistics reflect the broader impact of social determinants of health—poverty, discrimination, food insecurity, and limited educational opportunities. VMHSC coaches and participants are largely recruited from lower-income communities, and the need for mental health support is evident in the high levels of grief, depression, loneliness, anger feelings, and stress observed among participants.