Posted: Thursday 20 October 2011
In the third blog of our series celebrating Black History Month, Frank Keating meets a man with reasons to be happy and wonders if it's time for a different approach to mental health in the UK.
At the World Federation for Mental Health conference in Cape Town I met a most amazing man from Uganda. He described himself as a recovered service user and then burst out in song, singing “I am so happy, so, so happy…”.
I asked him what recovery meant for him. He replied (and I paraphrase) that it was about being himself at all times regardless of whether other people like it or not, having a supportive wife, beautiful children, his music, being able to express himself.
I pondered on this and asked myself why it seems so difficult for black men who experience mental health problems in the UK to achieve this.
I wondered what it is about the UK that makes it so difficult to support black men in achieving a sense of self, reconnection with their relationships, and to find ways of meaningful self-expression.
It seems to me that in the UK we have become obsessed with finding evidence and ‘scientific’ solutions, but forgotten the individual in all of this. We have even adopted the mantra of ‘recovery’ without clearly spelling out what this means for people in terms of history, culture and the general circumstances which largely define them.
In this month of celebrating Black History, I urge everyone to reflect in a bit more depth on why it is that UK-based black men who experience mental health problems face such challenges.
This means going beyond stereotypical definitions of black men, which don’t get us to any sort of meaningful response. It also means going beyond received wisdom of what support services and recovery should look like.
What’s needed is creativity and some truly novel thinking.
Frank Keating is Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Care at the Royal Holloway University of London. Marcel Vige, Mind's Diverse Minds manager, will be replying to comments on Patrick's behalf.
I agree Frank, but I also think the limitations of the recovery mantra and the ability to be yourself is an issue for everyone now.
How can anyone be themselves when we are told what constitutes being a person of value and what recovery is?
Not taking professional support [or being compliant and responding to medication & CBT], not living in social housing, and being in paid employment to not need housing benefit & tax credits is what is now viewed as the ideal - this applies to anyone irrespective of ethnicity and culture.
There's a stereotype to fit everyone according to their gender, age, sexual orientation, diagnosis, occupation, as well as ethnicity. I certainly don't feel like I can be myself, much less so now than ever before.
I don't for one minute take away from black people the fact that they are detained and over medicated disproportionately - these are facts no one can deny - but the rest equally applies to all of us.
A very insightful article, thank you.
I would add that I feel the problem extends to all people: to all men and ladies too.
What the statistics are in terms of which sections of our society have the most mental health problems, I don't know.
But those are great, simple things to aim for in life aren't they?
Enjoying simple, less materialistic pleasures. Enjoying the best things in life that are free?
Love and light,
Natalie
mindreader is dead right: these things do indeed apply to all.
PS Why do the professionals employ this awful word "compliance"? It is nothing but a wishy-washy euphemism for "obedience".
I wish I had compid if i complided then they would not have forced my to discharge myself and then discharge me completly with BPD. no one can help me now they dont want to just been bullied out of my volunary job found out one of the nursing homes i wrote to for work months ago has just employed by bullying nieghnbours daugher, the mother and her mates sabotaged a potential job wen they rang school to say i was metal. wish i complied wish i don everything they said like keep quiet might get help now if they did, too late now
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