We want to live in a world where young Black men are mentally healthy and get help when they need it.
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The Vision
Transform Gender Norms. Enrich Mental Health. Engage in Social Support
What is the YBMen Project?
The Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health Project
Founded at the University of Michigan, the YBMen Project is an educational and social support program for young Black men. Through the project, we can learn about the strategies that influence and shape young Black men’s ideas and experiences with mental health.
This culturally-sensitive, age-appropriate, and gender-specific program uses a private social media group (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, etc.) to provide mental health education and social support to young Black men by using information and prompts from social media and popular culture (e.g., YouTube videos, photos, lyrics, and current headlines).
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Why Young Black Men?
The Mental Health of Black Men Has Been Overlooked.
Young Black men experience disproportionately higher levels of mental health challenges due to their exposure to a greater frequency and severity of psychosocial stressors compared to other young men.
Studies have chronicled the poor health outcomes of Black men as a result of racial discrimination, negative attitudes toward the justice system, racial and cultural identity, depression, violence, and masculine gender norms.
Yet, the mental health challenges among young Black men have largely been left out of national discussions about this segment of the population and concerns about violence. These mental health challenges are not always discussed in the Black community itself, making them difficult to address.
How Does YBMen Work?
Supporting Young Black Men Using Social Media Platforms Works.
We facilitate online discussions that are culturally-sensitive, age-appropriate, and gender-specific using YouTube videos, song lyrics, and current news headlines. Group members respond with their ideas, thoughts, and perceptions of issues related to mental health, manhood, and social support, communicating in the private group.
The YBMen Project’s approach to supporting young Black men using social media platforms is successful. YBMen Project participants experience decreased depressive symptoms, more progressive definitions of masculinity/manhood, and increased social support. Also, user engagement was strong, as 94% of participants viewed the YBMen groups weekly and 83% actively participated each week.
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Cups of Coffee
consumed by the YBMen project team
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Potential YBMen Sites
in communities across the globe
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Number of Supporters
and partners in the YBMen network
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Young Black Men Served
through the YBMen project so far
Where We Started
The YBMen Project was born in 2014 at the University of Michigan after Dr. Daphne C. Watkins spent several years studying the mental health, masculinity/ manhood, and social support of Black men over their adult life course.
Where We Are Going
Moving forward, our findings will help us build a global mental health campaign to improve Black men’s mental health, their adherence to progressive masculine norms, and increase their social support.
