Individual well-being is influenced by a number of economic and social factors that include income, mental health, physical health, education, social relationships, employment, discrimination, government policies, and neighborhood conditions. Well-being involves both physical and mental health as part of a holistic approach to health promotion and disease prevention. The well-being of a society’s people has the potential to impact the well-being and productivity of the society as a whole. Though it may be assessed at the individual level, well-being becomes an important population outcome at the macro level and therefore represents a public health issue.

The literature suggests that African American/Black males are less likely to seek professional assistance for mental health and other personal concerns than African American/Black females and that they are more likely to seek informal help for mental health problems than professional help. Are there circumstances where African American/Black males would seek professional help over informal help? This research updates what is currently known about African American/Black male collegians’ help-seeking behaviors and the circumstances or conditions that might influence professional help-seeking. Secondary data illustrating the help-seeking behaviors of African American/Black male collegians at an urban HBCU was examined to identify patterns or trends during the first semester of 2018 and 2019. De-identified data sheets for 103 African American/Black males were examined to identify referral sources, current mental health concerns, and past mental health concerns. African American/Black male and female collegians sought professional assistance for similar concerns: family problems, couples problems, peer interpersonal problems, depression, anxiety, and stress. Black males were more likely to self-refer for professional assistance than seek informal assistance. Implications for university counseling centers are explored.