Mental health: ethnic minority experiences

I think that anorexia is perceived as a white middle class disease and I do know about research that says that if you are from ethnic minority you are more likely to be diagnosed with an illness such as schizophrenia and you are more likely to be given medication. I think the class thing is important as well though I don't think it's just about being white. You know, I think the typical picture of the anorexic is someone who you know, is a kind of beautiful white person, very clever, and you know, I think maybe also middle class parents and maybe, maybe find it easier to negotiate the system, you know… And, I don't know I think I just didn't, I didn't look like the anorexic. I didn't, don't fit that, no, let me think. I wasn't, well I wasn't the typical anorexic like in terms of the profile of somebody who's got an eating disorder. I know nowadays eating disorders are more widespread and they can affect all kinds of people. But I think that, you know, before there's a certain type of person that they think that is the anorexic and, and certainly with the stealing food and everything, you know, that, if it was a white middle class person doing that they might think, I'm not really explaining myself very well am I? My brain has gone… I think if you look a certain way you are more likely to be taken seriously and you're more likely to be listened to. I don't know. I don't really know what else to say.

And do you think, I mean comparing schizophrenia and an eating disorder, I mean they're obviously quite different, very different. Do you think that schizophrenia is a more stigmatising label than an eating disorder?

I think it frightens people. I think there's a lot of, I mean like articles and newspapers about paranoid schizophrenics going on the rampage and killing people. And I think a lot of people were quite, you know, scared, like people where I live and stuff. I mean I think on the one hand like if somebody has got something like schizophrenia then you'll get two camps, you'll get the camp that says, oh well it is not their fault, because it's biochemical and all they need to do is take medication. And then you get the other lot who think that they are really like evil people.

And I'm not explaining myself at all, my head has gone… I don't think it is biochemical and all you need to do is take medication, or that you're a bad person, so it's one or the other. And I think eating disorders it's kind of like people can maybe relate to eating disorders because a lot of people even if they don't have them they do have concerns about their weight and food and stuff, whereas something like schizophrenia, especially when the media kind of really plays it up, that schizophrenics are like these dangerous people who go round killing people which is not even true, you know, a small minority do, but I know people that have mental health problems are more like to be attacked by other people, than actually go around attacking anyone, but people don't know that and they hear a diagnosis like schizophrenia and maybe some of the symptoms of schizophrenia such as hearing voices and being delusional and stuff and they can't really relate to that, whereas they might be able to relate to somebody, you know, feeling fat and overeating or under-eating or somebody feeling a bit down. They might not be able to relate to somebody thinking that there is a government conspiracy after them or whatever, you know. I think schizophrenia is quite a stigmatising label to have.

We suffer those worst forms of everything and we have the least number of people. But I think that's, I think we suffer the lowest number but the people that do suffer mental health difficulties within the, within my community don't tend to come forward and, and use mental health services. 

I've met many families who are refusing to allow their children to use, who experience children, their children who experience mental health difficulties to come forward and use mental health because of the family shame. and they, they, a lot of them are quite religious so they think it's, their kids have been possessed and it would be bring shame on their family from their relatives and stuff so they prefer to keep the person, their daughter at home or their son at home and not let them access mental health services. so I think that's a very major stigma that needs to be defeated but I don't think anyone is interested, the government is not interested, I don't think the Department of Health or any government agency is really interested, nobody really cares. But I think that mental health charities have taken a good step in showing look there are problems and we need to highlight them and we need to explore them and discuss them and have a healthy debate. But government who, who hold most of the money who can put thousands into these services to tailor and, to challenge stigma it's not a priority for them so I don't know I think it's going to be very difficult.

And do you think having depression has affected your life in any way?

It has, yes. A lot of people, when you're depressed, you've got an illness, they don't, you know who your friends are. Most people that know that I have, really, don't really say much, don't speak to me.

And this has happened since you had the depression?

Yes.

Do you know why that is?

What?

Do you know why that might be?

Well, they just probably think that I'm not, not good enough for them, to be a friend, you know. Black people are, they're full of pride. I mean if something goes wrong they tell you, you know. Like, you know, always with whites, when somebody is ill they still get help. But, you know, with blacks, you know, they don't want to, they just don't want to be involved, involved in things like that, get involved.

Okay and so what, what do you think would happen if your community found out, can you say a bit more about that?

Well people would look at you in a negative way, probably ridicule you behind your back, probably make, you know, say things that would be very hurtful if you were there. ridicule you and, and it would be frowned upon, people would think oh my God and it would be spread across relatives and people would be like, “He's got mental health difficulties.” And then it may be bad for my own future, for, you know, when I get married and etcetera because, you know, people will say he's got mental health difficulties, would you want to marry into a family that has someone that has a mental health difficulty etcetera. So I think those are the repercussions of if I came out openly about it. so yeah.

Do you think that is something that's particular to, to your community or do you think…?

I think it's particular to certain other communities, BME communities because I think in certain African groups it's a very sensitive issue as well. in certain, you know, in Indian culture it is regarded, in Bengali culture it is regarded as very sensitive, it's frowned upon, in Pakistani culture, many different cultures it's frowned upon. And this is not only talking from me just talking off the top of my head this is from extensive research that has been conducted by universities, that has been conducted by mental health charities, by organisations, by even organisations that tailor their service to ethnic, you know, Indian communities because there are Indian organisations, Indian led organisations that provide services to their own community, mental health services so they have also conducted research and they have found that there is a lot of stigma and a lot, among certain communities in their own. But I think that as people, as an increasing number of people enter the system it will become increasingly accepted by society and that's when it may be but I don't think that will be in my lifetime.

You said when we spoke on the phone that you had had some difficulties doing some voluntary work?

Yeah

Can you tell me a bit about that?

Yeah basically I think that this Disability Discrimination Act is very ineffective, I think it's a complete and utter joke. I only think it protects someone in a wheelchair or someone who has broken their finger or someone who has I don't know I'll be naïve and I'll say someone who , I don't I want to use a very stupid example just to show you how bad the Act is. someone who has probably scratched their finger and is regarded as a disabled person, they would be covered by the Act and they would be given any job. But you see if you've got mental health difficulties this Act, you know, no, I, I want any expert, any doctor, anyone to sit in front of me and tell me how it protects mental health, people that experience mental health difficulties because at the end of the day when you go to an interview you're not protected by the Act like people say because, you know, what the interviewer can say, he can, the interviewer can say after the interview okay we'll be in touch but their feedback could be this person experienced , suffers from mental health difficulties so it may be difficult for them to work with the public. That's subtle discrimination, that's discrimination that people will say actually that's not discrimination that's just , you know, this person suffered from mental health difficulties, this person can't communicate, this person knows nothing etcetera. I think that discrimination is, is so widespread when it comes to mental health there is no Act to protect these, to protect people like myself who suffer from discrimination in terms of, in the context of mental health. The Mental Health Act is flawed, it's, it's a complete joke, it's more it protects people that have, you know, a scratch on their finger or who have, I don't know, who have bump on their, on their knee or something. It doesn't protect mental health patients because it's easy to discriminate against them. If you just say oh they've got mental health they don't understand or, you know, you've had psychological problems in the past, you don't know what you're talking about. Easily discredited and if it were to go to court what would the mental health patients say? “ Sorry I've suffered from mental health difficulty.” “Oh sorry we're discrediting you, you know, you don't know what you're talking about.” And what, added onto that mental health patients can't become jury, sit on the jury, why? Surely if we're protected by the Mental Health, the Disability Discrimination Act surely we should be allowed. We're not allowed to become magistrates, why not, it's a voluntary job, why can't we become magistrates? “Oh because you can't think straight.” 

 but isn't that covered by the Disability Discrimination Act, surely if you discriminate against people based on their difficulties that's wrong.” “Oh no basically you don't know what you're saying.” That's the sort of attitude I've come across and every job that I've gone for, every voluntary position I've been rejected on those grounds. “Oh you haven't thought straight, I think you're, you might, because of your condition you may find it difficult to talk to people or communicate or get your view across.” but the thing is, you know, they've even said , “Oh you're going to be in a place where there's going to be vulnerable people, you pose a threat to them.” That's an assumption but there's no evidence to support that. And the thing is that I've never posed a threat to anyone and I go to a university where nearly every single person is regarded as vulnerable because they're

Like what you just said, you feel you are being very emotional, and worried whether you have slight depression. Do you find it difficult, as a Chinese, to share these with others? Or would you have any worries in that?

It's difficult and I can't tell others. If I tell others they may think I am a bit crazy [Chuckle]. You can tell them you are not feeling well, it's ok to say so. If you say about that, they will feel that you are different and will see you differently. 

How would that be like?

Some would say, 'don't talk to her that much, she's a bit depressed.' They would say so. There are people who have depression in our church, they may talk about it and repeat it as they forget, and others would find them troublesome and not feeling like to talk with them that much. If you were in their shoes and you hear these, you won't feel happy about it right? If it's nothing special it's better not to talk about it that much. Like when you feel ill, with your body, others actually can't help you. They could not help you, some may even step on you, 'You made yourself like that, and you should take it easy.' When they do so you would not want to talk about it further.
 

I feel aged. Maybe I don't look it, I don't like, but I feel that. But inside I'm a broken, helpless and shame, and scared.

Why do you feel ashamed?

Because, you know, of the illness you know. I don't want to be poorly, you know. If I tell someone, you know, I'm ill with the depression and they might make fun of me. You know, that's why I'm ashamed and helpless.

So who is it that knows you've got depression at the moment?

Pardon?

Who knows that you've got depression at the moment and who doesn't know?

Only me, my husband knows and my sister-in-laws knows. And my mother-in-law used to know a little bit but after that, after her death it got worse really. When I had first attack she was living but, and she really got upset. But then she knows I'm the one who look after her. I used to take her everywhere that she wanted to go, and she was very safe with me, and when I had an attack and she was very upset. Not just a little she was very upset about it…

You said you had a best friend. Does she help at all?

Yeah, I mean though I don't tell her everything. You can't. Some things are secret. No, she don't know about my severe depression. Only she knows I'm suffering with a migraine.

And you don't feel like you can speak to her?

No, no. I don't have energy to talk about it to her. No, I don't want to.

What do you think will happen if you tell her?

Maybe she will tell around, which I don't want. Because she knows my husband's family and they are very close to her as well, so I don't want her to tell them I'm a poorly. I just want them to know I'm fit, healthy, happy, you know.

If they know that you're poorly, what do you think they would do?

They might make fun. I'm just scared. They might not. I'm not saying they will. They might not but…

You can't trust them?

No. No, I can't trust them.