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27
THERE IS NO HEALTH WITHOUT MENTAL HEALTH!
By Dr. Edith Onovo
Talking Mental Health within the BAME (Black, Asian, Minority, Ethnic) Communities
Mental health is defined as a
state of well-being in which
every individual realizes his or
Mental health promotion, protection and care
her own potential, can cope
with the normal stresses of life, can work productively
The much talked about parity of esteem for mental and
and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or
physical health services has not lived up to expectation.
his community (WHO 2014) An important inference from
There is usually a long waiting list, meanwhile the mental
this definition is that mental health is more than just the
health problems do not wait rather they get worse while
absence of mental disorders or disabilities.
the patient is waiting to receive support.
The truth is, Mental health problems are common, every
one of us will experience it at a point in our lives. Each
year one in four of us living in the UK will experience
mental health problem. 1 in 6 people in England alone,
report experiencing a common mental health problem
(such as anxiety and depression) in any given week (Adult
psychiatric morbidity 2007 &2014)
However, Mental health is a taboo subject particularly
within the African community. It is viewed mainly from
the spiritual angle, a kind of demonic possession or a
result of spell cast upon someone by his or her “enemies
of progress” using mystical or ‘juju’ powers. Hence when
one has a mental health issues or breakdown within the
African community, spiritual healing is almost always
the first recommended therapy or intervention by close
family, friends and well-wishers.
Because of this strong belief that mental health conditions
are as a result of a spiritual attack, and the myth that it is
‘incurable’, there is a huge stigma attached to mental ill-
health which is not restricted to the patient but also to the
immediate and extended family, thus the usual sequence
of response is to ignore symptoms, deny when asked by
someone concerned about a change in behaviour, then
hide away from public until a crisis situation or nervous
breakdown. This in part explains why there are more black
people especially men sectioned/detained in mental
health institutions.
Determinants of Mental Health
According to WHO, multiple social, psychological, and
biological factors determine the level of mental health of
a person at any point of time. For example, violence and
persistent socio-economic pressures are recognized risks
to mental health. People from Black, Asian and Minority
Ethnic (BAME) communities as well as Refugees and
Asylum seekers are more likely to experience persistent
social and economic deprivations, violence and the other
risk factors than the white population, which can also
explain their over representation in the mental institution.
This situation is worse for people from the BAME
communities, mainly due to lack of adequate mental
health promotion and services. There is a massive lack of
culturally competent services especially for people from
the African descent. There is need for funding for mental
health awareness, psych-education and wellness support
services within the black African community led by people
and service providers from the same background.
World Mental Health Day 2018
10th of October was world mental health day and this
year’s theme is “young people and mental health in a
changing world”. Half of all mental illness begins by the
age of 14, but most cases go undetected and untreated.
This is mainly because, the early signs of mental health
problems are similar to what most parents mistake to
be common teenage problems. Duration of Untreated
Psychosis (DUP) for example, is approximately 2 years
within the general population and even longer within the
BAME communities.