Many people face disadvantages caused by inequalities that can significantly impact their mental health. So how can research address this?
Ahead of World Mental health day on the 10th of October, where the theme this year is ‘Mental health in an un-equal world’; we sat down with Professor Praveetha Patalay from University College London, Dr Gareth Griffith from Bristol University and MQ Ambassador Andrea Corbett.
In the episode, the panel discussed the challenges faced by researchers when it came to being representative both in research and more generally.
Andrea, who is a speaker and campaigner, talked about some of her own experiences of mental health events where different groups and communities are not well represented.
“There are lots of events I’ve gone to where they are talking about mental health, but they are not talking about ALL mental health. Because you don’t have representations on the panel that are able to discuss what it’s like from different backgrounds and communities. [ ] They don’t know what it’s like, they can only hear what it’s like from someone who has actually experienced it.
Gareth spoke about some of the challenges in recruiting diverse volunteers for research that accurately represent the people most affected.
“Most of the studies we do are on self rated MH so it involved you turning up and telling someone how you are feeling. That’s quite a big ask of people. Especially if people have been structurally dis-incentivised from going to and talking to people in positions of power. [ ] If you’re an ethnic minority you are less likely to turn up for a study, which we know is the case. And it’s pretty plausible that if you are incredibly depressed you are less likely to turn up to a study. So if you then think about the people who are left to turn up in a study you are going to have an over representation of mentally healthy people and an overrepresentation of non-ethnic minorities. And the people who are an ethnic minority who are really sad are never going to turn up. So the only people who you find who are sad are the non-ethnic minorities. And that actually gives you a completely wrong intuition, amongst your group, that the people you should be incentivising people who are the non-ethnic minorities. And that’s just as a result of the fact that you have not recruited the right people that you’ve not got the right sample selection in place. Your dis-servicing everybody who is taking part in your research because you’re not recruiting well”.
The only thing you can do to develop trust with people is engage populations. Gareth Griffith.
Praveetha, whose research focuses on inequalities and the impact on mental health, spoke about the global issues that research needs to address.
The data we tend to have tends to be from the most advantaged in societies. [ ] So when you think about young peoples mental health research, around 90% of adolescents live in low and middle income countries. 95% of adolescent mental health research happens in a handful of rich white countries. That’s a problem – if most of the people who are going to struggle with their mental health are young people who are not in the places where this is being researched I think that’s a big inequity to address.
You can watch the full episode here.
