The mental health of ethnic minorities

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Abstract
Clinical studies have suggested that men of Caribbean origin living in Britain had much higher rates of psychosis than their white counterparts; while adults of South Asian origin have been found to have lower rates of depression. These findings have been controversial, both because of the inherent difficulty of diagnosing mental illness, and because of the possibility of cultural bias in the definition and measurement of these conditions. This article summarises the findings of the most substantial population‐based study of mental illness ever undertaken among ethnic minorities in Britain. A sample of 5,106 members of minority groups, and 2,867 white people, were screened for indicators of mental illness in the course of a national survey. Those who screened positive were then re‐interviewed to validate the initial diagnosis. The results carry some resonance with the findings of clinical studies, without replicating them exactly. Some doubts are shed on the appropriateness of standard measures of mental health for migrants from South Africa.

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