2: Colouring the Mind: Racism and Mental Health – The System

Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH)

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.26554
‘Colouring the Mind: Racism and Mental Health’ is a new In Conversation mini-series that will explore how racism affects mental health, with a particular focus on racism in the mental health system and racism in the mental health concept.
In this episode, Malaika Okundi and Jessica O’Logbon focus on racism in the mental health system and discuss what the mental health system is, how people of colour are treated in the mental health system, and where we can go from here.
Discussion points include:

• Definition of the mental health system with a focus on the UK mental health system.
• Formal and informal mental health systems.
• How people of colour are treated differently by the mental health system.
• The biases that exist for people of colour within the mental health system.
• Distrust in the mental health system and how history impacts people’ s perspectives of the system.
• The importance of cultural competency training and lived experience advising.

Please note that what Malaika and Jess share in this series is derived from their work, as well as from research and literature surrounding these topics. Whilst they are not experts on racism or mental health, personal experience does play a role in their discussions.