Jacqui Dyer, the chair of Black Thrive – a project working towards breaking the systemic issues consequently leading to poor mental health outcomes in black communities – and vice-chair of the England Mental Health Task Force has spoken to The Guardian regarding the youth and the state of their mental health. Specifically, Jacqui had this to say: “If you don’t deal with the mental health of young people, the cost to the community is disastrous, never mind the public purse.” Adding that he is “working with the local authority, schools and mental health [workers] to improve services – and the voice of children and young people will be central,”
As well as this, Dyer wants to reinforce the fact that a lot of minority groups don’t gain access to services as quickly as they need, stating “Part of how mental health services have to change is to listen to what communities are saying in order to respond better when young black people show up in a crisis or require early intervention.” One way that this is being combatted is through a project called Amplified, run by the charity YoungMinds and funded by NHS England, it Gives children and young people a chance to be heard in the running of mental health services as well as persuading young people to get involved with services in the first place. Laurie Oliva, YoungMinds’ head of participation, says:
“There’s a massive stigma around accessing services, especially in some ethnic minority communities,” “For some black young men, the first time they get access is in the justice system. If that’s the case, we’re failing them.” Adding that “It’s about really changing the way we think and act around children’s mental health,” before finishing with the fact that “Even when you do get help, you can be bounced around the system telling your story over and over and over to different people. By the time you’ve found the right place, you’ve had a poor experience that will more than likely exacerbate the very problem that you’re trying to deal with.”
