Quality standard

Quality statement 5: Support for people with mental health problems

Quality statement 5: Support for people with mental health problems

Quality statement

People from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups can access mental health services in a variety of community-based settings.

Rationale

People from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are less likely to access mental health treatment than the general population. Mental health illness can be associated with a considerable stigma among people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups. Some people may find community-based services, such as a person's home or other residential settings, community centres and social centres, more appealing, accessible and culturally appropriate than traditional healthcare services. To help combat the stigma and encourage people with mental health problems to access support early, the services need to be visible, accessible and responsive to the needs of the local population.

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

a) Evidence of local arrangements to improve access to mental health services for people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups.

Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example, from local commissioning plans.

b) Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that mental health services are provided in a variety of settings that people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups can choose from.

Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example, from service level agreements.

Process

Proportion of people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups accessing mental health services who are offered support in community-based settings.

Numerator – the number in the denominator offered support in community-based settings.

Denominator – the number of people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups accessing mental health services.

Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example, from patient records.

Outcome

a) Rates of uptake of mental health services among people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups.

Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example, from GP records.

b) Proportion of people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups who complete treatment from mental health services.

Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example, from GP records.

c) Service user experience among people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups who accessed mental health services.

Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example, surveys carried out with people referred to mental health services.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (such as GP practices, community health services, mental health services and independent providers) collaborate with local communities and people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups, healthcare professionals and commissioners to develop local care pathways that promote mental health services tailored to the needs of the local population. They ensure that services are provided in settings accessible and acceptable to people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups with mental health problems.

Healthcare professionals (such as GPs, psychiatrists, mental health nurses) offer people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups different options for where they can access mental health support to ensure they can choose acceptable and culturally appropriate services. They also collaborate with service providers, commissioners, communities and people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups to develop local care pathways that promote mental health services tailored to the needs of the local population.

Commissioners (such as integrated care systems and local authorities) collaborate with local communities, people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups, healthcare professionals and service providers to develop local care pathways tailored to the needs of the local population. They ensure that mental health services are provided in a variety of settings and a range of support is available to facilitate access and uptake of services among people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups.

People from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are given a choice of places to access mental health support. Locations may include their own home, a community or social centre, a GP practice or other local health clinic.

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Community-based settings

Community-based settings include the person's home or other residential settings, community centres and social centres. [NICE's guideline on depression in adults, recommendation 1.16.4 and expert opinion]

Equality and diversity considerations

Stigma attached to mental health problems among people from the Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups and fear of being sectioned or having children taken away by social services may stop people from accessing mental health support early. To ensure they are culturally appropriate and tailored to the diverse needs of the local population, members of the community should be involved in designing and reviewing the services as well as represented in peer and lay roles to ensure good links into the community.