Black Mental Health UK: your news, policy and research resource on mental health and African Caribbean communities. We aim to reduce the inequalities in the treatment and care of people from African Caribbean communities and inform these communities on how to influence the strategic development, policy design and implementation of services.

  Results of a national census of inpatient in mental health hospitals and facilities in England and Wales

This census report is the first ever comprehensive survey of publicly funded mental health services since 1995. This study describes what was found by researchers  from Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission and the National Institute for Mental Health in England.

In March 31 2005. Findings from this data revealed what human rights and race equality organisations condemned as ‘unprecedented levels of racism' with patients from African Caribbean communities experiences discrimination and marked differences in both pathways into care and treatment received once in the system.

The census is one of the three key building blocks of the UK Government's five year action plan, 'Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care'.  The Count Me In Census 2006 was a joint initiative by the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission and the National Institute for Mental Health in England.

The census showed people from African Caribbean communities are 18 times more likely to be detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act  - the census findings also revealed this group make up over a third of mental health inpatients despite being less than 3% of the national population although though they do not have a higher prevalence of mental ill health than any other ethnic group - National Centre for Social Research EMPIRIC Report - April 2002

For an easy to read breakdown on the statistics and facts set out in this report - you can purchase one of BMH UK's briefings or just subscribe and get access to all areas of this website.