Race and mental health treatment

Abstract

The death of David (Rocky) Bennett, a black man who was a detained patient in the Norvic Clinic, an NHS medium secure unit in Norwich, is a tragic illustration of how perceptions of race within mental health settings can influence interactions between staff and patients. There is now a wealth of evidence establishing the disproportionately high rates of diagnosis of schizophrenia amongst African-Caribbean people. African-Caribbean people are also more likely to receive coercive forms of care, spend longer in hospital and experience greater rates of transfer to higher security facilities (NIMHE, 2003).