Mental health: Call to reform youth support in racialised communities
Joe Lepper
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
System wide change is needed to improve mental health support across health and education services within racialised communities, a report is warning.
Young people from racialised communities “do not trust mental health services”, according to the research by children’s mental health experts.
In addition, they face “higher levels of stigma and are at greater risk of coercion” says the report, which warns that wholesale change is needed to tackle racism, inequality and discrimination across health and education services.
Another issue to be addressed is a lack of culturally appropriate support.
Too often young people from racialised communities are unable to get early support and are only helped when they reach crisis point and given compulsory care, the report also warns.
“Children and young people from racialised groups were more likely to access child and adolescent mental health services through compulsory than voluntary care pathways,” states the report.
“Overall, they were also less likely to access services and were overrepresented in inpatient settings.”
Action to be taken includes public health initiatives to reduce stigma around mental health and to increase awareness of mental wellbeing among young people.
Anti-racism training is needed within formal qualifications across health and education and young people need to be involved in decision making around mental health support, the report also recommends.
“Young people know what they want and need the most,” it adds.
“Therefore, they should be given a seat at the decision-making table. It is essential that mental health programmes are co-designed and co-produced with young people from racialised communities to provide them with the best support.”
The Voice for Change report has been produced by Young Changemakers, a programme created by UK Youth, The Diana Award and the Centre for Mental Health to tackle mental health inequalities faced by young people.
Our Young Changemakers are tackling #MentalHealth inequalities in racialised communities through social action - influencing policy, engaging frontline practitioners, changing public attitudes, & peer support.
— Centre for Mental Health (@CentreforMH) April 26, 2022
Follow them: @NotSoMicro @ChangeBMH @verity_trueorreal (Instagram) pic.twitter.com/n0bFJHouJ7
Social action projects already underway through Young Changemakers include:
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Campaigning to ensure microaggression training is mandatory in teacher training
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Creating culturally sensitive digital resources for GPs
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Producing a podcast featuring professionals and those with experience of mental health issues
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Organising creative sessions about mental health aimed at young black people
The report cites research by the charity Mind last year that found that seven in ten people who experienced racism said that it impacted on their wellbeing.
Earlier this month, a report by UK Youth and YoungMinds found that most youth workers feel “ill-equipped” to support young people with their mental health. It also called for local services to provide specialist support for young people from black and minoritised backgrounds to find a “trusted adult” to speak to.
