WE ARE THE
The Black and Minority Ethnics in Psychiatry & Psychology Network is a social enterprise aiming to prioritise and advance the representation of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) backgrounds within psychiatry and psychology.
We achieve this by hosting events which provide guidance on how to access careers in mental health professions, educate on diversifying the curriculum and address racial disparities in mental health.
We pride ourselves on being the first network for registered and prospective ethnic minority mental health professionals in the UK to acquire social, emotional, psychological and developmental support.
Watch our In Conversation with Black Professors in Mental Health online event here:
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BACKGROUND
There is an underrepresentation of ethnic minoritised groups in the psychiatry and psychology professions.
The most recently available figures show that:
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9.5% of qualified clinical psychologists in the UK were from a BME background (NHS Digital, 2015)
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12.3% of NHS psychotherapists in the UK were from a BME background (NHS Digital, 2015)
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38.65% of professional members and fellows in psychiatry were reportedly of BME background (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2018)
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6.5% of UK academic staff in the psychology and behavioural sciences were from a BME background (Advance HE, 2018)
These statistics, coupled with the widespread inability for mental health service users to access services or practitioners which reflect their own cultural and personal identities, and an overall lack of diversity in academic curricula - this includes the teaching of, by teachers of, BME and transcultural psychology topics - depicts a profession that lacks diversity of thought, opinion and experience.
We believe that addressing these issues should be a priority within the psychiatry and psychology profession.
Particularly as research has shown that a culturally diverse and reflective workforce can help address the inequalities faced by BME groups in accessing treatment, receiving appropriate care, and reaching equal mental health outcomes.