FUNDAMENTAL FACTS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH 2016

2.2 Other groups experiencing
a higher prevalence of mental
health problems
• Findings from the 2014 APMS show
depression to be more prevalent
among black women, while panic
disorder appears to be more
prevalent among women in black,
2.2.1. Black, Asian and minority
Asian and mixed or other ethnic
ethnic groups
groups. However, these findings were
Limited research has been conducted in not significant because of the small
this area within the UK, which translates sample sizes, and therefore caution
into little being known as to the impact should be taken when interpreting
of mental health on black, Asian and
these results. 221
minority ethnic (BAME) communities.
The lack of adequate and sufficient
• A review published in 2015
data on BAME groups contributes
exploring the association between
to the problems of misdiagnoses,
ethnicity, mental health problems
underdiagnoses and fewer treatments
and socioeconomic status found
accessed.
people from black ethnic minority
backgrounds to have a higher
• BAME communities are generally
prevalence of psychosis compared
considered to be at increased risk
with the white majority population.
of poor mental health. 217 The APMS
This effect was still observed after
(2014) found the prevalence of
controlling for socioeconomic
common mental health problems to
status. 222
vary significantly by ethnic group for
women, but not for men. Non-British
white women were the least likely
to have a common mental health
problem (15.6%), followed by white
• A 2008 study found that women
of Pakistani and Bangladeshi
origin were at an elevated risk of
schizophrenia after adjustment for
socioeconomic status. 223
British women (20.9%) and black
• Studies show that PTSD is higher in
and black British women (29.3%). 218
women of black ethnic origin and
Black adults were also found to have
this association is related to the
the lowest treatment rate of any
higher levels of sexual assaults that
ethnic group, at 6.2% (compared to
they experience; 224 however, women
13.3% in the white British group). 219
of black ethnic origin are less likely
• In contrast, a 2015 study by Stewart-
Brown and colleagues found that
to report or seek help for assaults or
trauma. 225
those of African-Caribbean, Indian
• In a report by the National Institute
and Pakistani origin showed higher
for Mental Health (2003), it was
levels of mental wellbeing than
noted that people of black Africanother
groups; this was found to be
Caribbean and South Asian origin
largely attributed to higher levels of
are less likely to have mental health
problems detected by their GP. 226
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