Black voices

Mental Health Nursing,  Apr 2000  by Anderson, Kirsty

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Conference reports

Do health professionals mistake black cultural values for mental illness? Kirsty Anderson reports on a revealing conference

Speakers at the National Black Mental Health have called for better understanding and support for black people living in Britain with mental illness following the Review of the Mental Health Act (1983). Clara Buckley, of the Orville Blackwood campaign said some blacks diagnosed as being mentally ill may simply have a history of cultural differences that have been escalated.

Merle Richardson-Bell, of the Homeless Assessment Resettlement Team in Hackney, said the role cultural difference plays in dealing with the mentally ill was not being considered by policy-makers. She said fear from society and a general loss of confidence among the black community is an underlying factor in the loss of confidence and self-esteem of many individuals, which could lead to mental illness. She added that insufficient parental guidance in some families was also adding to problems, "We have to start cleaning up our own backyard."

Ms Richardson-Bell said many black homeless people are not registered with local health authorities because, whereas white homeless people tend to go to soup kitchens, receive support from other organisations or are seen on busy city streets, blacks tend to stay out of sight - in derelict buildings or moving from one person's home to another.

Such differences in behaviour are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the mentally ill.

Another speaker, a carer from Sheffield with first-hand experience, said that cultural difference was the real reason there are so many black mentally ill. He described his sister, Olive, who arrived in Britain from the Caribbean in the 70s. Having been responsible for younger siblings and playing an adult role at home, he believes her arrival in Britain and subsequent return to the role of a child was too much for her. Her strong personality and superior attitude clashed with principles intrinsic to British culture and she was diagnosed as mentally ill. He said black people have a different way of expressing themselves which is sometimes mistakenly perceived as mental illness by whites.

He said that the Mental Health Act is not concerned with looking after patients, but making sure that the public do not have to see them wandering the streets.

The people who were making changes to the mental health system needed to understand the crosscultural implications of mental illness better.

"They're not dealing with statistics, they're dealing with lives."

His disappointment in the way matters have been handled regarding black mental health was firmly supported by those attending the conference, which was held at The King's Fund Conference Centre in London last month.

"We have been let down by so-called leaders - sold out by the blacks in power who have not attended the conference to take our message back to the government," he said. "Saving money is more important than saving lives to the people running the country."

The organisers of the conference, Footprints (a national black mental health organisation), hope to put a number of recommendations to Health Minister, John Hutton.

Copyright Community Psychiatric Nurses Association Apr 2000
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