Government must take mental health seriously
2 min read
Family is sometimes difficult to consult when burdened with generational trauma, emphasising grit over vulnerability
My race and my mental health are similar in that I only became aware of them, painfully, as I entered early adulthood. Young Black people have the double burden of working out what it means to be an adult and what it means to be Black; a twisting journey that can cause confusion, anxiety, and pain, but also self-knowledge and contentment if navigated well.
Mental health support from Black professionals who have been on the same journey and can empathise is therefore crucial, however 2013 NHS research found that only 9.6 per cent of qualified clinical psychologists in England and Wales were Black, Asian and minority ethnic, despite forming 13 per cent of the population. This is despite a 2016 NHS study also finding Black people were most likely to suffer mental health problems, with 23 per cent having a common mental health problem in a given week compared to 17 per cent of whites.
It can be harder for young Black Brits to open up to someone who we think will not get what we mean. This is likely a factor in Black people having the lowest incidence of mental health treatment – at 6.5 per cent compared to 14.5 percent of whites, according to the same NHS study. Outside help is important, because family is sometimes difficult to consult when burdened with generational trauma, emphasising grit over vulnerability, borne out of an even more hostile past.
The government can take action in two ways. Firstly, they need to fund charities that are already working to solve this problem, such as Black Minds Matter, which connects Black patients and therapists for free sessions, and grassroots organisations like Engage in ME, a BAME peer-to-peer support group in Lewisham set up last year by mental health charity Mind. Secondly, they need to ensure NHS mental health facilities, already severely stretched, are adequately funded and encouraged to train and recruit Black staff.
While addressing the root causes of the mental health issues young Black people face, from systemic racism to microaggressions, is crucial, the government should also make sure we have someone to turn to in the meantime.
Matthew Kayanja is an apprentice journalist at The Times
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