The London Assembly’s health committee recently published their report ‘Healthy minds, healthy Londoners: Improving access to mental health services for London’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic population’. This report summarises the committee’s review on mental wellbeing across London and the aims of their review were to:

• Examine the challenges facing people in accessing mental health services in London with a specific focus on young and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals
• Explore and make recommendations on how the Mayor might support improved access to mental health services, particularly for young people and the BAME population in London

They found that over a million Londoners suffer from a mental illness at any one time and this affected their mood, physical health and their ability to work, study and develop and maintain relationships.  They stated that there is evidence to suggest that mental ill-health is more common in London than elsewhere in the UK. Additionally, they reported that mental health is a particular challenge in young people and the BAME community.

They highlighted that a major challenge is access to mental services with there being cultural and practical reasons why both young people and BAME individuals are reluctant to access mental health services in London. The health committee suggest that an effective way of increasing uptake of mental health services, particularly for young people, is for these services to become more integrated.  They state that many services are provided by multiple agencies and this is confusing for young people to navigate.

The health committee also stressed the need for mental health problems to be identified  and addressed as early as possible with a strategy and funding allocated to prevention and early intervention.

Seven recommendations were put forward to address the challenges that exist.

1. The Department of Health should commission a national mental health survey of children and young people at the earliest opportunity to update the 2004 survey. The Department, in response to this report, should set out its timetable for such a survey, and explain how it will address the needs of policy makers and commissioners in London – specifically around young people and Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups.
2. London boroughs and Clinical Commissioning Groups, supported by NHS England London and the Department of Health, should develop a more integrated approach to providing mental health services and support that will enable a shift in focus to early intervention and prevention provision, whilst greater pan-London strategic leadership should seek to facilitate greater cooperation across complex existing structures.
3. London boroughs, working with Clinical Commissioning Groups, should consider giving greater priority to children and young people’s mental health in local Health and Well Being Strategies when they are next refreshed.
4. Local Transformation Plans for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing – being drawn up by Clinical Commissioning Groups and others – must include ways to support the voluntary sector as a provider of mental health services for children and young people.
5. The NHS England Mental Health Task Force must examine ways to develop a sustainable model of community-based advocacy, as a means of improving access to mental health services and support for BME groups, in which the voluntary sector is an essential partner.
6. In response to this report, the London Health Board should set out an express commitment to a continued emphasis on mental health, in the confirmed areas of focus, to be agreed later this year.
7. In response to this report, the Mayor should set out what additional steps he (or a future Mayor) could take to promote good mental health in London, particularly with reference to London’s young people and Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups.

The Lake Foundation welcomes this report and its recommendations as there is an urgent need to address the mental health challenges the black community face.

You can download the full report below.