Mental health experiences and coping strategies of ethnic minority adolescents in England

Abstract Background Children and young people (CYP) or adolescents from ethnic minorities and disadvantaged communities are at a higher risk of experiencing poor mental health due to various factors, including discrimination, socioeconomic inequalities, cultural barriers, and mental health stigma, however coping strategies or support they receive to overcome their mental health remain dysfunctional. Methods This research used a participatory co-production design to engage with Asian or Asian British CYP aged 10-19 years to understand their perceptions and experiences of mental health and wellbeing, mental health services access and utilisation, and examined coping strategies, formal or informal support used by them to overcome their poor mental health. We conducted fourteen semi-structured interviews with CYP, followed by a participatory co-production workshop with twelve stakeholders. Results The key findings from this research were summarised in the four overarching themes: i) Perceptions of CYP towards mental health and its services; ii) Practices of coping strategies; iii) Challenges and barriers in dealing with mental health at family and society level; iv) Challenges and barriers in dealing with mental health at the institutional level. Stigma, cultural barriers, misconceptions and fear of discrimination were some of the key issues that shaped perceptions of CYP towards mental health and available services. CYP relied mainly on informal support received from peers or family members because of confidentiality and trust issues with healthcare providers due to a lack of culturally sensitive support services and underrepresentation of health professionals from minority groups. Conclusions Despite several efforts implemented for mental health promotion among ethnic minority groups, they are still struggling to access professional support services to manage their mental health issues effectively and lack adequate knowledge and skills on healthy coping strategies. Key messages • CYP from minority groups still struggle to access professional support services to manage their mental health issues effectively and lack adequate knowledge and skills on healthy coping strategies. • The compounded impact of interrelated socioeconomic and cultural factors creates complex barriers for CYP from ethnic minority groups towards accessing and receiving appropriate mental health services.