Sadiq Khan interview
World Mental Heath Day takes place on October 10th this year, with a special focus on the impact of culture and diversity. In the lead up to the event we spoke to Sadiq Khan MP, Labour member for Tooting in South London, to see what he had to say on the issues of mental health and race equality
Hello Sadiq. Do you find that mental health issues are of concern to your constituents?
Yes, I do. There is a large mental health trust in Tooting and so a number of mental health professionals who live and work in the area. Lots of my constituents contacted me whilst the Mental Health Bill was going through Parliament this year, and we engaged in some really constructive dialogue on the issues.
Evidence shows that Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities face greater problems accessing mental health services. How do you think we can combat this?
This is a really serious problem and the Government are treating it as such. In 2005, the Government launched its action plan Delivering Race Equality (DRE) in mental health care. It’s a realistic five-year action plan for tackling racial inequality. The DRE aims to improve the access, experience and outcomes of BME communities in mental health services across England. Since DRE began, several key components of the action plan are already operating, and this is going a long way to combat the problem.
For instance, as part of DRE, the Government has commissioned 80 community engagement projects in primary care trusts to help build stronger links between mental health services and BME communities. All 80 projects are now in place achieving the DRE Action Plan target and helping BME communities to feel open to the mental health services on offer.
What more can the government do to ensure that mental health services are culturally sound?
As I said, the DRE is going a long way but more can be done and one of the most important things is for practitioners to be fully aware of cultural differences and how these might manifest themselves in, say, different needs. The David Bennett inquiry recommended that mental health staff should receive training in cultural awareness which I think is really important. The Government has successfully piloted the Training in Race Equality & Cultural Capability and this should be available widely very soon.
A lso, a new, web-based guidance, “Positive Steps”, incorporates key mental health issues, religious and cultural needs for different ethnic groups, using needs for South Asian, African and Caribbean groups as examples. This web-based guidance sets out some of the key mental health issues and cultural needs for different BME groups, and is, I think a great help to those involved in mental health.
Do you think the Race Equality Impact Assessment in the Mental Health Bill was adequate?
I strongly feel that the REIA was adequate and met the requirements for REIAs. I also understand that a lot of effort was made to include the BME community in the REIA.
How do you look after your own mental well being?
I try to keep a positive attitude and to see myself and events in my life in a positive light. I think that’s really important and in order to do this, I try to look after myself, including eating and sleeping well, exercising and enjoying myself. I make sure I spend time with my friends and family and play a lot of sport, including football and cricket, which I find both relaxing and stimulating. Ensuring you look after yourself physically and give yourself time to relax can make a huge difference to your outlook.
