Being Black in Britain
A quote from the BBC site: Click for full story
Earlier this year a report was published into the death of Jamaican-born David "Rocky" Bennett, 38, at The Norvic Clinic, Norwich, in October 1998 after being restrained by staff.
An inquiry into his death, led by retired High Court judge Sir John Blofeld, concluded that "institutional racism" was present across NHS mental health services and set out a raft of recommendations for improvements.
I remember years and years ago, there was a BBC documentary on here, as regards how young, black males were more likely than anyone else, if they came to the attention of the authorities for any reason to be mis-labelled and misdiagnosed as schizophrenics more than any other group of people. And after searching for a link on this story, of which the one I meant was in Britain, I didn't find it, but did find THIS which also relates the same problem in America.
But the fact that the mental health service is institutaionally racist is somewhat ironic, as most of the ground floor nursing staff in any hospital envionment at least here, for the most part they are from Ethnic miniorties. They certainly outnumber their white counterparts.
The researchers came to the conclusion that it was possible that the psychiatric profession may sometimes be misinterpreting the behaviour of black patients who are not mentally ill, but struggling to cope with social adversity.
Professor Robin Murray, from the Institute of Psychiatry, said: "It seems to be something in the social environment, something about being black in Britain.
"The experience of black people in the UK almost drives them mad." CLICK HERE for full story.
|
