By David Saunders | UPDATED: 10:28, 27 April 2020
A recent study has led to growing concerns amongst mental health practitioners that the BAME community is at severe risk as a result of the Coronavirus, as official figures have found that almost 3 in 4 (72%) of Covid-19 related deaths across NHS and social care workers were of a BAME background.
Furthermore, an incredible 44% of the NHS’ medical staff are BAME individuals and considerable proportion of Britain’s key workers are also of black, asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, despite ethnic minorities making up less than 20% of the UK’s population.
As a result, it is clear that the BAME community are at a disproportionate risk of suffering the health consequences, both physical and mental, of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In light of this, mental health treatment specialists Smart TMS have launched a national, free mental health support helpline, which offers direct consultation with a trained mental health practitioner as early as the next day.
Smart TMS have conducted extensive research into the mental health profile of the UK and recently appeared in a Downing Street roundtable, focusing on the mental health concerns facing the BAME community. Now, Gerard Barnes, CEO of Smart TMS, discusses these shocking statistics on BAME NHS deaths and encourages anyone, particularly those of a minority ethnic background, to seek the help they deserve:
“It is extremely disturbing to see the disproportionate figures which have shed a light on the dangers faced by the BAME community in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. BAME workers play such a vital role in our NHS and also constitute a huge proportion of this nation’s key workers, and in doing so are putting their physical and mental health on the line. This will undoubtedly lead to a considerable number of BAME individuals experiencing significant mental health consequences.
The Coronavirus pandemic is forcing people to face a variety of difficult situations, and it is vital that we at Smart TMS and the wider mental health community begin to act now by providing added support and resources to those most in need during this unprecedented and uncertain time.
We are proud to offer free mental health support to people across the country whose mental wellbeing has been adversely affected by the outbreak of the Coronavirus, and we are committed to providing a lifeline for the thousands of individuals in the UK, particularly people from the BAME community, who are struggling with their mental wellbeing and who may find it more difficult to access the support they need and deserve.”
Smart TMS mental health support helpline
The helpline is one of the only support lines in the UK to offers callers direct counsel and advice from trained mental health practitioners as early as the next day; a service which represents a vital alternative to other helplines and oversubscribed NHS talking therapies, whose waiting lists can stretch into several weeks or months.
Smart TMS Mental Health Support Helpline
UK: +44 (0) 20 3855 4578
Ireland: +353 1 592 3560
Lines open Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm
