Improving mental health care for Black men
Published on 24 October, 2025.
Black men in England face stark and persistent inequalities in mental health. They are five times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than White men, yet less likely to receive help early, including through primary care. Instead, they are more likely to come into contact with mental health services through crisis care or the criminal justice system (Figure 1). This brief sets out what good mental health care looks like for Black men and what stops it from being delivered. It draws on a rapid evidence review, interviews with individuals who use, work in, or advocate for mental health services, and insights from the Black men’s Health Taskforce, a group comprising men with lived experience of mental health issues and services. The findings point to three key areas where change is needed to make mental health services safer, fairer and more effective for Black men: organisational culture, service design, and service delivery.