Listening Project Report
In recent years, there has been increased recognition of the mental health inequalities faced by racialised communities, including children and young people, however, the voices of these communities are too-often absent from the conversation. To support young people from these communities differently, it is important that their racialised experience is considered and their voices are centred.
In 2022 and early 2023, the Children and Young People’s Mental Health team at Transformation Partners in Health and Care worked with Black Thrive Lambeth; Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing, and Hounslow Mind; Partnership for Young London; Taraki; and Thrive LDN to produce The Listening Project report.
This report listened to 114 young Londoners aged 12-25 from Black, Asian and Latin American communities talk about their mental health, what affects it, and their experience of mental health support in London.
What they told us…
“Being Black affects my mental health as there is a lot more pressure on me to not be like the stereotypical Black boy, like being seen to have a bad attitude. But then there’s pressure by social media to fit in because that’s what young people do. I want to just be me. And sometimes not doing what others want you to do can affect your mental health… There is a lot of pressure on Black boys, they are always being spoken about [negatively] and I think this can affect our mental health.”
– Black, male, age 15
Aims of the Listening Project report
The Listening Project explores:
- What factors contribute to young people from Black, Asian, Latin American and other racially minoritised communities being under-represented in community mental health settings?
- What are the experiences of young people in mental health service provision?
- What are young people’s beliefs and attitudes towards mental health support?
- How are health inequalities experienced by young people in London?
The Listening Project focuses on:
- Supporting our NHS and the wider health and care system to both better understand and, crucially, to act upon, what children and young people are telling us about their experiences and what they want from their mental health services.
The Listening Project emphasises:
- The need to recognise the connection between racism and health inequality and the structural factors perpetuating inequities.
The Listening Project signals:
- The beginning of a conversation, challenging senior leaders to seize the opportunity and take action to protect and nurture marginalised communities, as well as ensuring that we create an environment where young people can thrive.
Senior leaders must demonstrate commitment to addressing inequities and foster a workforce that understands racism’s influence on decision making, resource allocation, policy development and practice. Furthermore, collaboration among services, the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, young people and community organisations is crucial for a preventive approach.
To ensure the report’s legacy, future work to implement recommendations should be led by young people from Black, Asian, and Latin American communities, in collaboration with parents, carers, and allies, leveraging their lived expertise.