In a study of psychiatric inpatients aged 13 to 17, researchers from Imperial College London found that Black teenagers were nearly four times more likely to be admitted to specialist facilities than White adolescents.
Young people of African origin made up 20 per cent of all those studied.
Schizophrenia was the most commonly diagnosed disorder, with six of the eight Black British or Caribbean adolescents receiving treatment for the condition.
The researchers said poorer social support and high levels of exposure to stressful situations such as war may be responsible. But Margaret Edwards, head of strategy at mental health charity Sane, believes a reluctance to seek assistance could also be to blame. "There is a distrust of mental health services among African-Caribbean young men," she said. "Mental health workers should be given enhanced training, so they have the confidence to provide care in ways more acceptable to this group."
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