Peer Research on Mental Health in Our Communities
We're pleased to share the findings from our peer research project on mental health in ethnically minoritised communities. Our peer research project was commissioned by Newcastle Healthy Futures (a collaboration between the three practices of West End Family Health, Changing Lives, Mental Health Concern, Newcastle University and Social Finance). Connected Voice Haref coordinated the project while Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead provided peer research training. Four organisations (Rainbow Home. First Step, Riverside Community Health Project, West End Friends) provided members of staff and peer researchers to design and implement the research. This project was started after almost a year of living with the pandemic. Although the overall research does not focus specifically on the pandemic’s effects on mental health, COVID-19 has had a significant impact, and its presence is notable in some questions and in the results.
Key Findings:
- The majority of interview participants said they did not know where to access a mental health service
- Under one quarter of participants have used a mental health service
- Of those who had not accessed mental health services, 50% felt they would be able to, 10% said they would not be able to and 40% said they didn't know
- 14% of survey participants felt that services were not culturally aware and 32% were leaning towards services not being culturally aware
- 16% of survey participants said they would not speak to anyone about their mental health.
- Most participants stated that lockdown negatively impacted their mental health and their emotions
