Delivering race equality in mental health services

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Findings from new research

The AESOP (Aetiology and Ethnicity in Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses) study (Morgan et al, 2006) has made it clear that different Black and minority ethnic groups have different vulnerabilities and needs and unequal access to services. More must be done to understand care pathways and antecedents to health and social care. Specific needs of particular groups, such as British people of Caribbean and African origin (McKenzie, 2007) and young Asian women (Bhugra & Desai, 2002), have to be considered.

Can we reclaim the territory and do better for Black and minority ethnic service users, as we look forward to 2010

References

Bhugra, D. & Desai, M. (2002) Attempted suicide in South Asian women. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 8, 408–423.

Darzi, A. (2007) Our NHS, Our Future. NHS Next Stage Review - Interim Report. Department of Health.

Department of Health (2005) Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care - An Action Plan for Reform Inside and Outside Services and the Government’s Response to the Independent Inquiry into the Death of David Bennett. TSO .

Department of Health (2007) World Class Commissioning - Vision. Department of Health.

Healthcare Commission (2005) Count Me In. Results of a National Census of Inpatients in Mental Health Hospitals and Facilities in England and Wales. Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection

Healthcare Commission (2007) Count Me In. Results of the 2006 National Census of Inpatients in Mental Health and Learning Disability Services in England and Wales. Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection

Her Majesty’s Treasury (2007) Meeting the Aspirations of the British People - 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review, Annex D2. TSO .

Learning and Skills Council (2006) Improving Services for People with Mental Health Difficulties. LSC

McKenzie, K. (2007) Being black in Britain is bad for your mental health. The Guardian, 2 April.

McKenzie, K. & Bhui, K. (2007) Better mental healthcare for minority ethnic groups – moving away form the blame game and putting patients first. Commentary on… Institutional racism and psychiatry. Psychiatric Bulletin, 31, 368–369.

Morgan, C., Dazzan, P., Morgan, K., et al (2006) First episode psychosis and ethnicity - initial findings from the AESOP study. World Psychiatry, 5, 40–46.

Singh, S. P. (2007) Institutional racism in psychiatry - lessons from inquiries. Psychiatric Bulletin, 31, 363–365.

Rathod, S., Kingdon, D., Smith, P., et al (2005) Insight into schizophrenia - the effects of cognitive behaviorial therapy on the components of insight and association with sociodemographics – data on a previously published randomised controlled trial. Schizophrenia Research, 74, 211–219.

Annie Lau

Annie Lau is a child and adolescent psychiatrist with North East London Mental Health NHS Trust (Goodmayes Hospital, Ilford, Essex IG3 8YB, UK. Email - ). She has been active in cross-cultural psychiatry for the past 30 years, with pioneering work in transcultural family therapy in the UK. In recent years she has concentrated on training clinical teams and trust boards in race and cultural competencies. She was Medical Director, North East London Mental Health Trust from 2001 to 2005, and Medical Advisor, National Specialist Services Commissioning Advisory Group, Department of Health in 2006. She is currently on the Public Policy Committee at the World Psychiatric Association and the Workforce Symposium.

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