Black and Asian people find it harder to access NHS mental health services, report finds

Patients from minority ethnic backgrounds wait longer for, and have worse outcomes from, referrals than white counterparts

Black, Asian and minority ethnic people experience longer waiting times, and are less likely to be in recovery after treatment, when accessing NHS mental health services compared with their white counterparts, a report has found.

The research looked at 10 years' worth of anonymised patient data from NHS Talking Therapies, formerly known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies - an NHS programme that launched in 2008 to improve patient access to NHS mental health services. A total of 1.2 million people accessed NHS Talking Therapies services in 2021-22, and by 2024 the programme aims to help 1.9 million people in England with anxiety or depression to access treatment.

In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. You can contact the mental health charity Mind by calling 0300 123 3393 or visiting mind.org.uk