BAME children face higher risk of mental health issues amid pandemic, says study

CHILDREN from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds suffer face a higher risk of mental health issues due to the pandemic than their white counterparts, new research reveals.

Experts observed that the higher risk of BAME people dying due to Covid-19, and the pandemic's impact on schools were key factors that drove up levels of stress, anxiety and self-harm among non-white under-18s.

Mental well-being of BAME children and youth experienced a disproportionate impact over the past three months compared with their white peers, noted Kooth, one of the largest NHS-funded online mental wellbeing community.

The number of BAME under-18s seeking help to cope with anxiety or stress rose by 11.4 per cent over March, April and May when compared with the same period last year, while the figure corresponding to white children was only 3 per cent.

While depression cases being reported by white under-18s fell by 16.2 per cent over the past three months, the volume rose among BAME groups by 9.2 per cent.

Kooth noted that the number of BAME under-18s who sought its help to deal with suicidal thoughts went up by 26.6 per cent over the past three months, while the figure was at 18.1 per cent among their white counterparts.

Incidence of self-harm, too, had a similar pattern, where a 29.5 per cent spurt was seen among BAME under-18s, and 24.9 per cent among their white peer group.

The online forum -- which studied 51,321 help requests from under-18s in England -- added that about one in five of the 7,482 BAME under-18s covered in the research spoke of having had suicidal thoughts, or had caused self-harm.

Compared with last year, there were spikes in the number of BAME under-18s struggling with difficulty sleeping (up by 200 per cent), educational concerns (159 per cent), and familial issues (27 per cent), said Kooth.

It said there was a 44 per cent increase in BAME children and young people seeking its services over the past three months when compared with 2019.

Dr Lynne Green, a consultant clinical psychologist heading Kooth’s parent firm XenZone, said the figures were cause of “tremendous worry”.

“These numbers tell us quite clearly that there has been a significant deterioration in children and young people’s mental health over recent months and as yet there is no indication that this is slowing down,” he explained.

“Of particular concern is the disparity we are seeing between BAME young people and their non-BAME counterparts. Sense of stability and control has been threatened for everyone during this pandemic. For our young people, whether in the middle of puberty or approaching adulthood, this is hitting hard. Depression and anxiety generally go hand in hand with feelings of hopelessness and dread of what might lie ahead.”

Aisha Gordon-Hiles, a counsellor at XenZone, said the higher levels of Covid-19 risks faced by BAME communities was being reflected here.

“Without there being much information on why this is or what can be done to prevent this increased risk it is understandable that this may further contribute to individuals from these communities feeling increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression, even if they are not consciously aware of the impact,” she added.

Andy Bell, the deputy chief executive of Centre for Mental Health, told the Guardian that these were “worrying figures”.

“There is growing evidence from multiple sources that children and young people’s mental health is being severely affected by Covid-19,” he said.

“And just as black, Asian and minority ethnic communities are disproportionately affected by the virus, the impacts on mental health may also be falling more heavily on young people from the same communities.”