Voices of the Unheard: how African- and Caribbean-heritage men seek help for their health

Community mental health organisation, Nilaari, has completed informal research exploring how African- and Caribbean-heritage men look for help for their health.

Voices of the Unheard provided visibility and a platform for men to share their experiences. The project was funded by NHS England through the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) diverse Research Engagement Network.

In the UK, Black men are consistently over-represented in mental health services and are disproportionately diagnosed with a psychotic illness. They tend to enter mental health services through the police and criminal justice system, leading to negative and distressing entry into services. In addition, they are underrepresented in access to psychological interventions and are less likely to have positive outcomes from services.

There is an assumption that Black men are reluctant to engage with mental health services and that lack of trust is a key factor. Findings from Voices of the Unheard highlight how, when working in a different way and with trusted community organisations, this assumption can be overturned.

Between October 2023 and December 2024, Nilaari’s practitioners and therapists conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with more than 100 men of African and Caribbean heritage.

Interviews with participants were planned to take one hour, however ended up lasting up to two, as they felt confident to express their feelings which had previously been ‘bottled up’. They wanted to talk, and they were listened to.

The strong and recurring messages that emerged from these conversations were powerfully captured in a poem ‘If I could look into the eyes of my younger self’, composed and performed by Bristol’s first City Poet, Miles Chambers. This was shared with the men who took part.