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Cover "A state of emergency" is how Alvin Poussaint describes the current mental health crisis in the United States (p1725). The root causes of mental health problems, such as African Americans' experience of unrelenting oppression over the centuries, are exacerbated by entrenched stigma in US society against psychological difficulties. Many who suffer with mental illness are hidden in prisons or homeless shelters when they should be provided with appropriate care. Black Americans are significantly overrepresented in these populations, a result of historical and contemporary structural violence. As Poussaint notes, the discrimination experienced by minorities in the United States is compounded by the silence surrounding mental health concerns. In order to mobilize effectively in response to these issues, this "wall of silence surrounding mental health problems in the Black community must come down (p1726)." Contrasting with this state of emergency, this month's cover image offers a soothing, calm, and tranquil sense of well-being. We trust it will serve as a beacon of hope in the struggle for improved mental health for individuals and communities. Photograph by Joyce Tenneson (Aperture/IPNsTOCK).

Cover concept by Aleisha Kropf, Robert Sember, Henrie Treadwell, Kisha Braithwaite, and Mary Northridge.

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