Race, racism, disability & mental health
A collection of resources to explore – local and national research into the link between racial inequality and health and mental health inequalities.
Reports from Gloucestershire
#BlackLivesMatters – Gloucestershire’s Mental Health Services (Gloucestershire CCG & GCC, 2021) This report brings together some local data about how people of colour and people from other minoritised groups interact with mental health services in Gloucestershire.
https://haveyoursaygloucestershire.uk.engagementhq.com/11257/widgets/32256/documents/15323
Beyond Covid: Race, Health and Inequality in Gloucestershire (Sarah Scott et al, Director of Public Health, Gloucestershire County Council, 2020) This report looks at some of the inequalities in health outcomes and experiences of healthcare for people of colour and people from other minoritised groups.
National reports
Mental health
Mental Health Act Statistics, Annual Figures – 2020-21 (NHS Digital, 2021) This is the most recent government-level data about the use of the Mental Health Act. It includes information about disproportionate use of the Mental Health Act (both being detained in hospital for treatment, and being subject to a Community Treatment Order) for people of colour and people from other minoritised groups, particularly for Black people.
Mental Health Bulletin 2020-21, Annual report (NHS Digital, 2021) This is the most recent annual report released by the government about the people who access secondary mental health, learning disability and autism services in England. It includes information about disproportionate use of ‘restrictive interventions’ during inpatient mental health care for people of colour and people from other minoritised groups, particularly for Black people.
Synergi Collaborative Foundation Synergi is an independent centre of excellence which was established to look at ethnic inequalities and severe mental illness. Directed by Professor Kamaldeep Bhui of Queen Mary University and Oxford University. The Foundation have produced two particularly relevant and valuable reports:
- The Impact of Racism on Mental Health (2018) This important report looks at the growing body of evidence around the links between experiences of racism and experiences of mental illness.
- Ethnic Inequalities in UK Mental Health Systems (2017) This report brings together data about disproportionate use of the Mental Health Act, and also about differences in prevalence of serious mental illness conditions for people of colour and people from other minoritised communities. https://legacy.synergicollaborativecentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Synergi_Report_Web.pdf
Inequalities for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in NHS mental health services in England (MIND, 2020) MIND are a significant national mental health charity. Here they have brought together evidence about differences in prevalence of mental health conditions and differences in experiences of mental health services for people of colour and people from other minoritised communities.
https://www.mind.org.uk/media/6484/race-equality-briefing-final-oct-2020.pdf
Modernising the Mental Health Act – Increasing choice, reducing compulsion (Independent Review of the Mental Health Act, Professor Simon Wessely, 2018) This is the final report of a government-commissioned independent review of the use of the Mental Health Act 1983. It includes some information about the disproportionate use of the Mental Health Act for people of colour and people from other minoritised groups, particularly Black people.
Physical health & wider determinants of health
Local action on health inequalities – Understanding and reducing ethnic inequalities in health (Public Health England, 2018) This wide-ranging report looks at inequalities across physical health, mental health, the wider determinants of health, and interactions with health services.
Equity in England: The Marmot Review Ten Years On (Professor Sir Michael Marmot et al, Institute of Health Equity, 2020). This is a landmark and wide-ranging report looking at inequality across multiple areas of life in England. In particular, it brings together a lot of information about inequalities for people of colour and people from other minoritised groups around what is known as the ‘wider determinants of health’: areas like education, employment, income, and housing, all of which have an impact on our health experiences and outcomes.
https://www.health.org.uk/publications/reports/the-marmot-review-10-years-on
The Health of People from Ethnic Minority Groups in England (King’s Fund, 2021) This online resource looks at inequalities in health outcomes for people of colour and people from other minoritised communities.
https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/health-people-ethnic-minority-groups-england
Beyond the data: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on BAME groups (Public Health England, 2020). During the Covid-19 pandemic Public Health England conducted an examination of the disproportionate impact on people of colour and people from other minoritised groups in England. This report also includes some information about broader inequalities around experiences of physical health.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-understanding-the-impact-on-bame-communities
Evaluating Values (Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan, BMJ Leader Blog, 2020) This blog succinctly lists some facts and figures about poorer physical and mental health outcomes for people of colour and people from other minoritised groups.
https://blogs.bmj.com/bmjleader/2020/06/15/evaluating-values-by-rageshri-dhairyawan/
Healing a divided Britain: the need for a comprehensive race equality strategy (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2016) The EHRC’s report covers a huge range of areas of inequality, including education, employment, housing, pay and living standards, health, criminal justice, and participation.
We are interested to find out about research in the field of race, racism, disability and mental health.
If you would like to discuss this or you are aware of a useful resource that is missing from this list, please contact Lead Researcher, Laura Bolton on laura.bolton@barnwoodtrust.org