Mental Health Services and the African and African-Caribbean diaspora – the impact of discrimination and how to combat this

This conference will explore the racial disparities which exist in mental health access, experience and outcomes. Topics to be covered include:

• Epidemiology of mental health problems in people from BAME backgrounds
• Identifying risk factors for mental health problems in people from BAME backgrounds
• The impact of racism on the development of adult psychopathology
• Interventions to improve access, experience and outcomes of mental health services for those from African and African-Caribbean backgrounds

Confirmed speakers and chairs at the conference include:

Conference Organisers - Dr Shubulade Smith & Professor Dawn Edge

Professor Wendy Burn

Phoebe Barnett

Steve Gilbert

Sir Simon Woolley

Cllr Dr Jacqui Dyer

Professor Graham Thornicroft

Dr Louisa Codjoe

Dr Aggrey Burke

The full conference programme is now ready to download (pdf)

The event will take place at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 21 Prescot Street, London E18BB. You can view directions and a map to help you plan your journey.

The Citymapper website/app can help you plan your route within London, giving the best walking, cycling, bus and tube routes available. Use postcode E1 8BB as your destination.

You can book accommodation through our partner agency MICE Concierge.

• Book accommodation

Following the main conference will be a screening of 'A Dark Mind', a documentary looking at mental health in the black community. 

'A Dark Mind' is a documentary that explores the stigmas around Mental Health in the Black Community. The six participants are composed of males and females of African/Caribbean background who are between the ages of 20 and 35. They concentrate on their own experiences with mental health within the community and the specific stigmas they have faced. The film also interviews four professionals, who are of African/Caribbean background. They are active workers in the mental health sector,  within health services or in community outreach programs. The professionals shed light on the stigmas they often encounter with patients or recipients of their care, and give clarity on how those stigmas have been harmful to the community.

It should be a major concern that African-Caribbean people are hesitant to engage with services and each other when it comes to their mental health, so this film hopes to bring it into discourse, address and give clarity to the stigmas, their origins, and the importance of eradicating those stigmas.”

This conference is open to practitioners, academics, those with Lived Experience and anyone with an interest in the mental health of ethnic minority groups.