Black men’s mental health
Published on 24 October, 2025.
To develop our understanding of how Black men experience mental health care, we commissioned Queen Mary University (QMU) and University College London (UCL) to carry out a rapid review of what ‘good’ looks like in relation to access, experience and outcomes for Black men. As part of the review, the team carried out a literature review, which showed that Black people (that is, people of Black Caribbean and Black African heritage) continue to face stark and persistent inequalities in mental health care. The literature review found that not only are Black people 3 to 5 times more likely to be diagnosed and admitted to hospital with schizophrenia compared with all other ethnic groups, they are also less likely to access care early. Inequalities affect Black people along the entire care pathway from access to diagnosis, assessment, treatment and recovery. Members of the review team spoke with 23 people, including those with lived experience, family, carers, charities and advocacy groups, and providers of services to hear their experiences.People described stigma as one of the main barriers to accessing mental health services – both in terms of the way communities often viewed mental illness as a sign of weakness or shame, and past experiences that have led to distrust in services. This was also reflected in the findings of the Ipsos survey, where professionals reported that cultural stigma can lead to a reluctance to seek help, disclose symptoms and engage with medicine. Differing cultural beliefs and practices related to mental health and wellbeing can also lead to misunderstandings and misdiagnoses. Other key barriers identified by the QMU and UCL research included the availability of services and the lack of culturally appropriate models. Culturally appropriate care is sensitive to people's cultural identity or heritage. It means being alert and responsive to beliefs or conventions that might be determined by cultural heritage.