Mental Health Inequalities Facing U.K. Minority Ethnic Populations

Abstract

Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities continue to experience inequalities within the U.K. mental health system despite major government policy initiatives. The authors examined the literature for causal factors for continued mental health inequalities facing BME groups and potential solutions. The authors selected 53 articles from 1991 to 2012 based on inclusion criteria encompassing all major policy initiatives and relevant literature detailing explanations of mental health inequalities. Although ethnic inequalities in mental health have been of concern for decades in the United Kingdom, a still‐significant gap exists between policies and methods of implementation. In comparison to White people, more BME people are diagnosed with mental health issues every year. BME communities are also facing barriers in terms of accessing culturally appropriate services, including lack of cultural understanding, communication issues, and where and how to seek help. Service providers need to work closely with people from BME communities prior to service design and delivery. Information should be made available in appropriate languages to support understanding about their illnesses and how they can seek help. Frequent reviews may further help assess BME communities' needs and make required changes and implementations.

Understanding Mental Health: What Are the Issues for Black and Ethnic Minority Students at University?

“…Research (Grey et al 2013;Wallace et al 2016) shows that many Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) 1 groups experience significant variation when accessing mental health care pathways in the UK. This is reflected in some BME groups being less likely to be referred to mental health services through their General Practitioner (GP) and more likely to be arrested by the police following a crisis, which inevitably results in poorer health outcomes and often-coercive forms of care in locked wards.…”

“…Globally, there is a stigmatization that has accompanied mental illness. However, raising awareness of this context has often been situated within a dominant white and Eurocentric backdrop (Grey et al 2013;Sewell 2012). Addressing this imbalance to ensure that people from all sections of society are represented equally is important in reflecting mental illness as a problem that affects all types of people regardless of race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, or disability (Glover and Evison 2009;Vernon 2011).…”

“…Norman and Ryrie (2009) assert that the safeguarding and promotion of good mental health is paramount for all communities within British society. Developing mental health interventions that are beneficial for ethnic minorities is essential particularly when we consider the racial ascriptions and objectification of black people and black men in particular within Britain and global society more generally (Grey et al 2013;Memon et al 2016). The impact of this often affects access to opportunity most notably in education (attainment outcomes) and employment.…”

“…As with most forms of discrimination and inequality for ethnic minorities, racism often occupies a position of centrality in their marginalized and oppressed experiences. There is evidence that attitudes towards mental health concerning BME people are often conflated within cultural contexts that advocate 'resilience' and 'strength' over presenting and confronting mental health concerns (Grey et al 2013). Stigmatization within these communities is problematic and this is exacerbated when we consider attitudes towards psychological distress and the accessibility of resources available to ethnic minority populations (Memon et al 2016).…”

“…However, the contradictory position that emerges often ignores the racial discrimination that resides within the academy, which disadvantages BME students in addition to the structures that impact aspects of attainment and engagement (Bhopal 2014). Against a backdrop of societal and sometimes cultural ideologies that tend to present mental illness as showing fear, distress, or displays of emotionality, attitudes towards mental illness concerning BME individuals can be difficult (Grey et al 2013). For BME students undertaking university study and negotiating mental illness, many of them will already be managing overwhelming family pressure and expectation to attain good degrees in the hope that this will potentially pave the way for a successful professional career (Arday 2017).…”