Thread by @myldn

An investigation by MyLondon found reports of racism or racial trauma are being disregarded by mental health professionals 🧑‍⚕️

[THREAD] 👇

The reported consequences are: Patients are misdiagnosed, further traumatised, abandon therapy, are over-medicated, institutionalised and in some cases placed in dangerous situations.
mylondon.news/news/health/i-…

Figures on sectioning released by the government show black people are four times more likely to be institutionalised than white people and for those of mixed heritage, it’s nearly six times

bit.ly/30U0zVv

Ironically, for a profession that is all about having uncomfortable conversations, there is a large section of counsellors and psychotherapists who are not just uncomfortable talking about it, they openly deny the need for any discussion about racism.

Social media posts belonging to industry body the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) shut down debates about racism describing them as “irrelevant” and “insulting to practitioners.”

bit.ly/3DI78IW

Our investigation found:
🔴Limited/"non-existent" training on racism
🔴An Asian therapist was warned she was joining a “white, middle class" profession
🔴A Jewish therapist told she could not be a victim of racism
🔴NHS staff frequently describe black patients as "aggressive"

Psychologist and Psychotherapist Ronete Cohen has also seen how patient care is influenced by race.

She said:“Important diagnostic information is being missed because of present ideas about what certain races are like.

“I had someone told, ‘Asian women exaggerate pain.’”

These stereotypes can be compounded to the detriment of patients, Ronete explained, if staff are trained to only focus on race rather than seeing it as one component in a more complex picture.

She added: “None of the training that they receive includes people of different races, unless race is the main issue, so that they always see them as someone who has very specific stereotypical needs or very specific stereotypical identity.”

Full story: bit.ly/3FSPvqP