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Racism and mental health

If racism is affecting your mental health, we're here for you. Our information can help you understand the effects of racism, and choose how and where to seek help.

If you're finding it hard to get the support you need, our tips can help you find a way forward.

As a second-generation South Asian woman, my lived experience has given me a deep understanding of the impact of marginalisation, poor mental health, and racial and intergenerational trauma. And how they intersect.

Choosing our words

There's no ‘1 size fits all’ language for talking about race and identity. Group labels bundle many identities together.

This overlooks the reality that people in these groups don't all have the same experience of race. And we don't all face the same challenges. Some terms, like ‘BAME’ for example, can feel particularly crude or unhelpful.

On this page, our approach is to:

  • Avoid acronyms and be specific wherever possible
  • Use descriptions purposefully in appropriate contexts
  • Use terms that our research suggests are widely understood and acceptable to people affected by racism
  • Capitalise specific racial terms, including ‘Black’, but only capitalise ‘white’ for specific national identities, like ‘White British’

But we know that language is constantly evolving. The words we choose matter and they must grow with us.

Help us do better – tell us what you think by using the feedback feature at the end of this page.

For more information, you can visit the Centre for Mental Health's Guide to race and ethnicity terminology.

What is racism?

Racism means using the concept of race to judge or treat some people worse than others.

It exists in many forms, and on many levels in society – including in mental healthcare. It can include acts of discrimination and prejudice towards individuals and groups. It can also describe wider systems of oppression.

For those of us who are disadvantaged and harmed by racism, it can feel stressful and upsetting to explain racism to those who are not.

You shouldn't have to explain this. But it can also feel validating and helpful to find new ways to define and describe your experiences.

Definitions of terms about race and racism

When talking about race and racism, we might hear some of the following words, terms and concepts:

Race is a label that groups us together based on similar physical traits, such as skin colour. Racial labels, like Black, were developed to wrongly define some of us as biologically different to others. This was a way of justifying violence and oppression.

For example, the British Empire developed the idea of a racial hierarchy, with white people at the top, to justify colonialism and slavery.

But despite this history, we might now feel that race describes an important part of our identity. We might connect and have a sense of solidarity with people who share our experiences of race and racism. For example, the term Black has been reclaimed to refer to a shared history and identity.

Race also has a definition in law. The Equality Act 2010 defines race as including our:

  • Colour
  • Nationality
  • Ethnic or national origins

Ethnicity usually refers to a group of people who share a long-standing cultural, national or language identity.

Race and ethnicity are different concepts. But definitions of racism include both of them.

Interpersonal racism is when someone treats us poorly or unfairly because of our race. This might be colleagues, classmates, strangers, service staff, and family members or friends. It can happen in person or online.

Sometimes it's very obvious, with a clear intention to harm or offend.  We might often hear this called ‘overt racism’. For example, if someone:

  • Physically attacks or threatens us
  • Verbally abuses us, or calls us racially-offensive names
  • Bullies us or excludes us

But often racist comments or actions are more subtle, and someone might not intend to cause harm. We might hear this called ‘covert racism’, ‘everyday racism’ or ‘microaggressions’.

Covert racism can come from unconscious bias. This is when someone unknowingly accepts racial stereotypes, which then influences their behaviour.

But their lack of bad intention doesn't make these experiences any easier for us to cope with.

Covert racism can be much harder to identify and challenge than overt racism. Especially when other people deny, downplay or become defensive about it. Or if we have an ongoing relationship with the other person.

We might find we're dealing with this often – maybe every day. Over time, this stress can build up and affect our mental health.

Institutional racism is when an organisation treats us poorly or unfairly because of our race. This can be intentional or unintentional. Many organisations don't realise how their policies and practices can disadvantage us. But it's still racism.

Institutional racism can affect many aspects of our lives. We can see examples of this in different institutions:

  • Education. The education system doesn't always support teachers to discuss diversity or colonial history. There's a lack of coverage of achievements by people from Black, Asian and other marginalised backgrounds. Instead, it often focuses on the achievements of white people. School exclusion rates are also higher for students from Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and Mixed White and Black Caribbean backgrounds, than for White British students.
  • Criminal justice. Police are more likely to stop and search Black people than White British people. Courts are more likely to give Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean people longer prison sentences than White British people.
  • Healthcare. There are significantly higher rates of infant and maternal mortality in Black communities. People from minoritised backgrounds are also under-represented in NHS management jobs. This might make it less likely that services will meet our needs. There are also examples of racism within the mental healthcare system.

A system is something made up of lots of different connected parts. Systemic racism describes how experiences of racism in many areas of life reinforce and fuel each other over time. We might also hear this called ‘structural racism’.

At a systemic level, we can see the wider effects of inequalities and power imbalances. For example, in systems set up by colonialism. We can see how this continues to exist in policy, law, economics, culture and wider society. We can also see how this creates white privilege.

How does systemic racism affect us?

To illustrate how systemic racism might affect us, we can look at an example going from childhood into adulthood:

  • If we experience institutional racism at school, this might make it more difficult to find work as an adult.
  • Racial bias in workplace hiring processes can then make it harder for some of us to find a job.
  • Then at work, institutional and interpersonal racism can be a barrier to promotion.
  • Barriers to promotion might affect our income.
  • Not having enough money from income can have a negative effect on our health and access to healthcare.
  • Health problems can then further affect our ability to work and make enough money.
  • Challenges with work and income can affect our access to suitable housing.
  • Housing problems might increase our risk of experiencing the effects of climate change. For example, we're more likely to live in places at risk from heatwaves.

Work, study, money, housing, physical health and climate change are all connected to our mental health. This creates a vicious circle of disadvantage, with systemic racism at its core.

Microaggressions are the most common form of covert, interpersonal racism. They can be very subtle.

Microaggressions can include things like:

  • Implying that we don't belong, such as questions about where we're ‘really from’
  • Making assumptions because of our race, like assuming English isn't our first language
  • Denying or downplaying our experiences of racism, which we might hear called ‘racial gaslighting’

Not everyone means to cause harm or offence with microaggressions. But that doesn't make this kind of racism any less painful for us to experience. The term ‘micro’ doesn't mean that it has an insignificant effect.

It's still racism, and the way it affects us can build up over time.

Racial gaslighting describes the way that some people or organisations deny or downplay the existence of racism. This ignores and undermines the reality of lived experiences of racism. We might also hear this called ‘racism denying’.

It might include comments like the following:

  • ‘You're being too sensitive.’
  • ‘You can't take a joke.’
  • ‘You think everything is racism.’
  • ‘I don't see colour.’
  • ‘I can't be racist because...’

It could also include wider institutional denials of racism. Often despite evidence of inequalities between racial groups.

Institutional and systemic racism might feel hard to recognise in isolated incidents. And microaggressions are often unintentional. Some people might not understand that this all counts as racism. This lack of understanding can lead to racial gaslighting.

Having our experiences denied or downplayed by others is harmful. It can make racism even more difficult to challenge. And it can make our experiences feel harder to cope with.

Colourism is when someone treats us differently based on how light or dark our skin shade is.

We're all exposed to subtle messages in society and the media about lighter skin being preferable. This can make some of us feel like our skin shade is too dark and doesn't meet society's ‘ideal’.

If we're mixed race, we might experience colourism in conflicting ways. We might feel ‘too dark’ in some situations and ‘too light’ in others. This can lead to feeling excluded twice as much.

Caste discrimination means unfair treatment on the basis of caste. We might experience this if we're born into a caste traditionally considered as ‘lower’.

Caste is not included in the definition of race within the Equality Act 2010. But caste discrimination and racism can both have similar effects on our lives.

Islamophobia is racism which discriminates against and harms Muslims, as well as people assumed to be Muslim.

Islamophobia can disadvantage us because of our perceived race, culture and religion. It often overlaps with other forms of racism, for example racism based on skin colour.

Antisemitism is racism which discriminates against and harms people from the Jewish community.

It can disadvantage us because of our ethnicity, culture and religion.

A privilege is any type of advantage granted to an individual or group, but denied to others.

White privilege refers to the day-to-day advantages that come from being white, or assumed by others to be white. For example, white people in the UK are:

  • More likely to see themselves represented in the media
  • Less likely to face racial barriers to employment

White people might still experience prejudice, discrimination, stigma and disadvantage for other reasons. But by not facing an extra layer of disadvantage based on race, this is often called ‘white privilege’.

Some of us feel that this term is not clear enough, because it only links privilege to skin colour. We might feel the term overlooks the fact that privilege can also apply to other racialised traits, like names and accents.

This term can also exclude those of us who are seen as white in some spaces, yet still face racism in other spaces. Like if we're from the Jewish community, or Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

Anti-racism is about taking action to challenge racism and promote equality. It's more than not being racist – it's about working against racism.

Allyship or being an ally is when someone takes action to support a marginalised group.

To be an ally, a white person should:

  • Recognise their own privilege
  • Educate themselves about racism
  • Use their privilege to amplify marginalised voices
  • Work with marginalised groups to challenge racism
  • Speak up and actively challenge racism when they see or hear it
  • Recognise that it's in everybody's interest to end oppression, including racism

Decolonisation can mean many different things. For example:

  • The end of colonial rule
  • Challenging the cultural dominance of ‘Western’ ideas over others
  • Breaking down the lasting effects of colonialism in society

In mental health services, this can mean working to:

  • Recognise the dominance of ‘Western’ ideas about mental health, including diagnosis and treatment
  • Highlight a variety of cultural ideas about mental health
  • Educate the mental health workforce about the effects of racism on mental health

At Mind, we're committed to becoming actively anti-racist in everything we do.

Learn about our anti-racism work: Equitable Minds

Angela's story: the biases I face as a Black woman

The mental health professionals would double-check everything I said with my white male partner.

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How can racism affect our mental health?

Experiencing racism can make us more likely to develop mental health problems. It can also lead to  internalised racism and internalised colourism, and racial trauma.

Our experiences of racism are personal to each of us. They might also intersect with many other factors.

For example, we might find that we:

  • Face discrimination in other ways too, for example against our gender, sexuality, religion or if we're disabled
  • Feel that some experiences apply to us directly, while others don't
  • Feel differently about our experiences at different stages in our lives

You're not alone in feeling this way. But your life experience is still unique to you.

Even if race is a human-invented construction, we still grow up with race as a fundamental part of our reality.

How racism can make us feel

Racism can bring up lots of difficult feelings and experiences. For example, we might feel:

  • Unwelcome, lonely or isolated. Especially if people or organisations have said or implied that we don't belong.
  • Anxious, fearful or unsafe. We might worry about how people are going to perceive and treat us. We might feel visibly different and vulnerable around lots of people of a different race. We might spend time thinking about how we'll protect ourselves before entering certain spaces. To find out more about anxiety, see our page on understanding anxiety.
  • Angry or frustrated. Particularly if people or organisations treat us unfairly, and we feel powerless to control it. To find out more, see our information on anger.
  • Stressed. All kinds of racism can contribute to stress. This stress might come from sudden or unexpected abuse from another person. Or it could come from longer-term effects of experiencing racism, and feeling worried about experiencing this again. This partly helps to explain links between racism and physical health problems. For example, increased blood pressure. To find out more, see our information on stress.
  • Unusual or strange. Especially if people highlight, mock or criticise things that are ‘different’ about us. Or make us feel like we don't fit society's norms. We might hear this called ‘being othered’.
  • Confused or unsure about whether we've experienced racism. This is especially true if others ignore or deny our experiences. It can make us question our reality. We might hear this called ‘racial gaslighting’.
  • Forced to suppress how we feel. We might find that we can't show or fully feel our natural responses to our experiences. To avoid more abuse, and keep ourselves safe, we might start to feel like we shouldn't react to racism.
  • Overwhelmed or worn down. We might experience racism regularly in lots of different parts of our lives. This might start to affect our mental health more and more. We might feel surrounded by racism.

Racism and mental health problems

Research suggests that experiences of racism can contribute to specific mental health problems. It can also make existing problems worse.

Racism might relate to mental health problems such as:

If you experience any of these, it's important to remember that this is not your fault.

Being a particular race does not cause mental health problems. But experiencing racism can contribute to feeling unwell.

Internalised racism, internalised colourism and mental health

Internalised racism is when we hold negative views about ourselves because of the racism we experience.

Internalised colourism is when these views relate to our skin shade.

Both of these internalised experiences can have a negative effect on our mental health. We might experience low self-esteem, stress and mental health problems.

We might also have the following thoughts and experiences:

  • Feeling pressure to change or downplay parts of ourselves. For example, we might feel that we have to change our appearance, the way we speak or our cultural practices to be more like the ‘majority’. We might hear this called ‘assimilation’. It can sometimes feel like we need to assimilate or ‘fit in’ to protect ourselves from racism.
  • Feeling like we need to play different roles in different spaces to stay safe. We might hear this called ‘code-switching’.
  • Feeling cut off from parts of our identity and culture. This can leave us feeling unsure about who we are.

Being mixed race

Being mixed race can make these internalised experiences feel even more complicated.

We might experience racism and colourism from multiple groups. But we might also hold some privilege if others assume we're white in certain spaces.

Overall, this can lead us to hold opposing views about our heritage and skin shade. At the same time, we might feel that we're both:

  • ‘Too much’
  • ‘Not enough’

This internal conflict can feel very hard to cope with.

Antonio's story: race, the police and my mental health

I was treated like a criminal before I was offered support.

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What is racial trauma?

Racial trauma is what some of us call the effects of racism on our mind and body. But there's no single definition of racial trauma.

Some of us might use it to mean all the effects of racist experiences on how we think, feel and behave. Or we might use it in the context of the race-based traumatic stress (RBTS) model, which is used to describe a specific group of symptoms.

The RBTS model includes some of the following symptoms:

  • Feeling depressed. We might feel like we have nothing to look forward to. Or we might struggle to enjoy things. To find out more, see our information on depression.
  • Feeling angry. We might struggle to feel calm after something distresses us. To find out more, see our information on anger.
  • Feeling very anxious, on edge and unable to relax. We might always be looking out for threats or danger. We might also hear this called ‘hypervigilance’ or ‘hyperarousal’.
  • Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks. We might relive parts of our difficult experiences as if they're happening now. Even if we don't want to.
  • Avoidance. We might feel numb when describing our experiences. We might try to forget them. It might feel hard to believe they really happened.
  • Low self-esteem. We might feel as if we're a failure and find it hard to have respect for ourselves. To find out more, see our information on self-esteem.
  • Physical symptoms. For example, sweating, trembling or a racing heart.
  • Blaming ourselves. There are many reasons why we might do this. Sometimes it's the way our brains try to make sense of what's happened.

What you find traumatic is personal to you. You might go through something similar to someone else, but feel different effects. Or you might find it much harder or easier to cope. It might also depend on how much support you have around you.

Understanding trauma

If you'd like to find out more, we have an information section on trauma.

Go to trauma pages

Vicarious, historical and intergenerational trauma

We might feel the traumatic effects of racism, even when we haven't experienced it personally:

  • Vicarious trauma. This is when seeing or hearing about racism towards someone else feels traumatic to us. It can be a painful reminder of racism and make us feel worried about experiences of racism in the future.
  • Historical trauma or historical loss. This is when we feel affected by the realisation of how our racial group has been oppressed over time.
  • Intergenerational trauma. This describes how racial trauma can get passed down in families across generations, like from parents to children. Intergenerational racial trauma is an under-researched field of study in the UK. And researchers aren't sure of all the ways this transfer happens. But we know that when older generations of our family have been harmed by racism, this can affect us in turn. It can affect our self-esteem, sense of safety and how we see the world around us.

Some researchers say that racial trauma should be included as part of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Others say that it should be separate from PTSD, to reflect the specific traumatic experiences and effects of racism.

But however you choose to define your experiences, it's always OK to ask for help with your mental health. You shouldn't need to say specific things or use specific words to get support.

Where to find support to cope with racism

Finding support to cope with racism does not fix racism. Institutions and society as a whole must take responsibility for challenging racism in every form.

But seeking help can be an important step towards improving your mental health, and feeling better.

This section explores a range of options you could consider, including:

Therapy and counselling for racial trauma

Therapy and counselling involve talking things through with a professional. This can give us space to explore difficult feelings and experiences in our lives, including racism.

There's no specific recommended therapy for racial trauma in the UK. But researchers are looking into this more and more.

We might find that different types of therapies help at different times. And the relationship we build with our therapist matters a lot. If they understand racism and they're ‘culturally competent’, this might make a big difference to how helpful therapy can be.

You might find it helpful to explore these questions before trying therapy:

The main routes to access therapy in the UK are:

Try to remember that any therapy offered through the NHS will depend on:

  • Your particular needs and your diagnosis, if you have one
  • Which services or types of support are available near you

The NHS might not offer you a choice, and their waiting lists can be long. If you can't see a therapist right away and need to wait a while, try our self-care tips for coping with racism.

To be culturally competent, a therapist should:

  • Understand your cultural practices and values, but shouldn't make any assumptions
  • Understand how racism can affect mental health
  • Respect any cultural differences between you and them
  • Sensitively reflect your culture and experiences in the treatment they offer you

They might show awareness in different ways, for example:

  • Understanding how racism and racist experiences can affect people.
  • Knowing which common experiences marginalised people go through in the UK, such as the pressure to assimilate.
  • Understanding common family dynamics and values in collectivist cultures, compared to individualist cultures.
  • Having key understandings of different faiths, and how beliefs can relate to emotional health. For example, in Islam, how the concept of ‘jinn’ might affect how we understand our experiences.
  • Having expectations around who we might turn to for support, like spiritual leaders.

Cultural competence does not necessarily depend on our therapist's own race or beliefs. We might feel that we want to speak to someone from a similar background. Or we might prefer to open up to someone who isn't connected to our own background.

What's most important is that the therapist is sensitive to our cultural needs. And that they understand how racism can affect mental health.

For therapy services to improve, it's really important that:

  • Therapists seek to educate themselves on how racism affects mental health
  • Therapists get proper training to support clients from diverse backgrounds
  • Mental health services hire and promote professionals from diverse backgrounds

Before starting therapy, you might be unsure who your therapist will be. And it can take time to develop trust and confidence in them in your sessions.

To help you decide if you feel comfortable talking to them about your experiences of racism, think about these questions:

  • Have they had any experience of supporting people with the effects of racism? You can ask them this directly. A responsible therapist will answer your questions honestly and openly.
  • Do they seem open to learning about racism, and your culture, without making assumptions? For example, do they acknowledge what they don't know?
  • Do they take your experiences of racism seriously? For example, by being respectful and not downplaying or denying them.
  • Do they seem aware of their own privileges or biases?
  • Do they recognise how your experiences of racism might intersect with other parts of your identity? For example, your gender, religion or sexuality.
  • Do you feel able to be honest about your experiences of racism with them? For example, do they help you feel at ease?

For a list of more things to ask when arranging an appointment, see our page on how to find a therapist.

Not all therapists will be confident talking about racism during therapy. This might happen even if they've had some cultural competency training.

This might make it harder to develop a good relationship with them. In some cases, we could end up feeling more upset, stressed or isolated.

If you don't find your therapist's approach suitable, it might help to try these ideas:

  • Tell your therapist about any problems you're having with them. They might be willing to reflect, learn and do better.
  • Show them our information about how racism can affect mental health. It's your therapist's own responsibility to educate themselves about racism. But they might appreciate new information.
  • Give it some time. It can take time to build trust with a therapist. And some sessions might feel more challenging than others.
  • Stop seeing them, or ask to be referred to another therapist. This might feel like the right option if they're often making you feel unheard, or unsafe.

You're allowed to ask NHS services for what you want. If it's possible for the service to accommodate you, they should. But it might not always be possible. In this case, other organisations on this page might be able to help.

If you're getting private therapy, you might have more choice in who you work with. But because it's expensive, lots of us don't have this option.

For tips and ideas, see our page on getting the most from therapy.

If you have a concern about any treatment you've received, you can make a complaint.


You might find it helpful to explore our information on:

You can also see our guides to therapy and counselling.

Peer support for racism and mental health

Connecting and sharing with others who have similar experiences can be very helpful. You might want to meet people who share your experiences of mental health problems, racism or both. You can attend groups in person or online.

Whether you can join a support group might depend on what's available in your area.

To find a peer support group, try some of the following organisations and services:

  • For information and advice, go to our page on how to find a peer support group.
  • Find organisations and services that offer mental health support to the Black community on the Bayo website.
  • Search for local services, like support groups, and filter results related to your experiences. Try using the ‘Ethnicity and Diversity Support’ tag on the Hub of Hope website.
  • Find spaces for mental health education and awareness for Punjabi communities on the Taraki website.
  • If you live in England, find groups in your area through the online support group directory on the Rethink website.
  • If you live in Wales, find peer support services, including befriending, on the Adferiad website.
  • Mind offers a supportive online community for anyone to talk about mental health. It's anonymous and we moderate the community to keep it safe – go to our page on Side by Side.

Mandeep's story: we must talk about racism and mental health

As a second-generation South Asian girl, I grew up feeling I had less value in society. And that anyone who looked like me or my parents were perceived as not belonging in the UK.

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Self-care to cope with racism

Self-care can be a powerful way to reject negative messages about our identity or our worth.

It's something we can control – even if we don't have much time or money. We can decide when and how we show ourselves kindness. And it can help build up our energy and strength.

When you feel able, here are some self-care ideas to try:

Speaking to someone who understands racism can be helpful. You might find that having someone listen to you and show they care can help in itself.

You might want to speak to someone you know. Or you might feel more comfortable speaking to someone you don't know. You can find lots of organisations listed throughout this page.

To find out more, see our information on how to open up about your mental health.

Try and take time to praise yourself and think about what you're proud of. For example, your character traits, skills or things you've done.

It might also help to acknowledge the effects of racism on self-esteem. This understanding might help you recognise and resist internalised racism.

To find out more, see our information on self-esteem.

Try spending some time thinking about what makes you happy and what you value in life. For example, any activities you enjoy or people you like spending time with.

This might help you get to know yourself better. It might also help you challenge racist assumptions about who you are, and who you aren't.

You might also find it helpful to connect with people who share your racial identity, to enjoy and celebrate your culture.

Self-compassion might help you to resist racist messages or ideas about yourself.

Try to treat yourself the way you would treat a friend. There are many ways to show yourself compassion, like:

  • Allowing yourself to acknowledge the racism you experience
  • Acknowledging how racist experiences affect your wellbeing
  • Not judging yourself harshly for being affected by racism
  • Giving yourself space when you need to take a break from thinking about your experiences

Mindfulness is a technique you can learn. It involves making a special effort to notice what's happening in the present moment – without judging anything. It aims to help you feel calmer, manage your thoughts and be kinder towards yourself.

It has roots in Buddhism and meditation. But you don't have to be spiritual, or have any particular beliefs, to try it.

For more information, see our pages on mindfulness.

Creative activities can help you express difficult thoughts and feelings. Or distract you from them. You could dance, make music, paint, do poetry, write or try any other creative activity that you feel comfortable with.

To find out more, see our information on arts and creative therapies.

Seeing news stories or social media content about racism might sometimes make you feel anxious or overwhelmed.

Try thinking about switching off or limiting what you look at for a while. Or if a particular person on your social media is upsetting you, think about blocking them to give yourself space.

Remember: racist abuse or bullying online could be a hate crime.

If you see racist abuse online, you could report the user to the site or app, if it's moderated. For more information, jump to our section on how to report a hate crime.

You can also see our page on coping with distressing events in the news.

Experiencing racism can affect your body as well as your mind. Physical health and mental health are connected, so looking after each can boost them both.

Being active doesn't have to mean doing sports or going to the gym a lot – although this works well for some of us. There are plenty of things to try on any budget, and at any level of fitness or ability. For example, spending time in nature can help improve your physical health and your mood.

For more information, see our pages on food and mental health, physical activity and sleep problems.

Remember: different things work at different times for different people.

If you've tried something but feel it hasn't helped, try to be gentle and patient with yourself. Over time, you might also develop some of your own self-care tips.

Racism and the law

There are certain places where being treated unfairly because of your race is illegal under the Equality Act. Such as at work or in public services. This is called ‘race discrimination’: 

How to report a hate crime

If you've experienced a crime that you feel was racially motivated, this could be a hate crime. Different organisations and services can offer support:

  • You can learn about hate crimes and report them to the police using the True Vision website.
  • In certain parts of the UK, you can avoid going to the police by reporting hate crimes to Stop Hate UK.
  • Even if you haven't reported the crime, you can get support and advice from Victim Support.
  • Report incidents against people from the Jewish community through the Community Security Trust.

You can also get advice on equality and human rights from the Equality Advisory and Support Service.

To find out more, go to our information hub about your legal rights.

Julien's story: racism and homophobia harmed my mental health

It has been a long journey of acceptance, of acceptance of myself, who I am, my beliefs and my values. I now live for myself. I have had to be compassionate to myself.

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Racism in the mental healthcare system

Everyone with a mental health problem deserves support and respect. But we don't always get this when we need it.

In the UK, if we're from a minoritised background, we're less likely to receive appropriate mental health support than White British people. Institutional racism can be a factor in this.

If we're from a minoritised background, it doesn't automatically mean we'll have a poor experience of seeking help. And it doesn't mean that every service will treat us unfairly. Excellent care does exist, and seeking professional help is often an important step towards feeling better.

But across the sector, evidence of inequality in the mental healthcare system exists in different ways:

Research suggests that Black and Asian people are less likely than White British people to get support for common mental health problems. For example, anxiety and depression. Research also suggests that people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are less likely to receive such support.

This might be because the mental health system fails to build our trust. If we expect to face inequality and racism in these services, we might choose not to approach them early on.

It can also feel difficult to find culturally competent support. There are many possible reasons for this:

  • Services don't reflect varied cultural understandings of emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
  • Most UK healthcare services take Euro-centric views on mental health. These aren't usually designed to meet the needs of culturally diverse populations.
  • Services don't recognise the effects of racism and systemic inequalities on mental health.
  • Services don't support people experiencing racial trauma.
  • Services don't hire a diverse professional workforce. Particularly at management levels.

Doctors are more likely to diagnose Black men with schizophrenia than people from White British or other white backgrounds. But there's no biological evidence to support this.

There are a few possible reasons for this, all related to inequality:

  • Differences in stressful life experiences. Experiences like racism make mental health problems more likely. These experiences might include heightened stress if we're Black in majority white spaces.
  • Differences in access to support early on. Without having the opportunity to get support right away, mental health problems might become more severe.
  • Unconscious bias and lack of cultural competence. Some doctors might interpret similar symptoms differently in Black patients and white patients. They might make assumptions based on racial stereotypes. And the tools they use to diagnose mental health problems might not recognise different cultural understandings of mental health. Or the link between racial trauma and mental health. Doctors using these tools might go on to diagnose some conditions more or less often in Black people.

For example, research suggests that healthcare professionals are:

  • Nearly 4 times more likely to section Black people than White British people. Being sectioned under the Mental Health Act means being kept in hospital against our will.
  • Nearly 4 times more likely to restrain Black people in mental health hospital services. This statistic includes learning disability and autism services.
  • Over 8 times more likely to put Black people on a Community Treatment Order (CTO). Under a CTO, we must follow certain rules after leaving hospital for mental health treatment. If not, we might have to go back and stay in hospital.

While there might be many more reasons for this, racism is a significant factor.

For example, there's a racist stereotype of Black men being ‘dangerous’, or ‘needing to be controlled’. This might bias the decisions that professionals make about Black patients under the Mental Health Act.

To find out more, see our information on the Mental Health Act 1983.

Inequalities in access, diagnosis and treatment all contribute to worse mental health outcomes.

For example, Bangladeshi and Pakistani people are less likely than White British people to feel better after trying talking therapy for anxiety or depression.

Overcoming barriers of racism in mental healthcare

Seeking help for mental health isn't always easy. It can be especially hard when services aren't designed for us. Or if we experience racism within the system.

It can feel distressing and tiring when it seems like we've tried everything, but we still haven't got the support we need. Or feeling like we're being re-traumatised by the services we've asked for help from.

But it's important to remember that you don't deserve to be treated unfairly.

Whenever you feel able, here are some ideas for trying to find a way forward:

The service might not realise that they're not being inclusive. They might be able to reflect, learn and do better. If speaking to them informally doesn't get the outcome you need, you can take things further by making a complaint.

If you don't feel like you're making progress with your GP, you can ask for an appointment with another GP at the practice.

The practice doesn't have to agree to this. But if they refuse, they should give you a good reason. For example, if the practice is very small, or other GPs aren't available at the same time as you.

We have more information on how to change to a different doctor. 

In the UK, it's against the law for healthcare providers to discriminate based on your race. If you think you've experienced discrimination, you can make a complaint.

For more information, see our page on how to complain about health or social care.

But complaining might not always feel like a safe or effective option. If you're unsure, get information about laws related to mental health by calling the Mind Legal Line.

Advocacy means getting support from someone to help you express yourself and stand up for your rights. Someone who helps you in this way is called an advocate.

For details of organisations that could help, see our information on advocacy.

Our network of local Minds support their communities. Some offer specialist services, such as:

Throughout this page you can find suggestions for useful organisations. But you can find further specialised support from lots of different sources.

Some of these services will be free, while others might be paid or subsidised:

If you live in Wales, you could also try:

If you might find it helpful, you could explore ways to campaign against racism and have your say on how to make things better.

Lots of organisations campaign against racism. Some of them also offer ways to get involved and have your say:

You could also campaign with Mind for a fairer system – visit our page on becoming a campaigner.

You might not find this helpful, or you might have tried this before and found it too exhausting. If so, remember that it's always OK to focus on self-care.

If nothing seems to work, you might start feeling too stressed or exhausted to challenge or overcome barriers to support.

In this case, you might choose to focus on self-care and peer support. This is OK. It doesn't mean you're accepting racism or poor mental healthcare.

You're the expert on what's best for your wellbeing right now. But can always try something again when you feel ready.

Understanding your health and social care rights

If you'd like to find out more, we have information pages about health and social care rights.

See information on your rights

We worked with 20 people with personal experience of racism to develop this content. We are deeply grateful for their support.

All quotes are shared with permission from our focus group participants, reviewers and bloggers.

Last reviewed: April 2026

Next review planned: April 2029

References and bibliography available on request.

If you want to reproduce this content, see our permissions and licensing page.

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