BACKGROUND
In 2018, the Care Quality Commission, an independent body of the Department of Health and Social Care, published its findings from a review in England CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service). They found that CAMHS are still not responsive to the specific needs of ethnic minorities children and young people. This might have elicited various interventions, including revamping IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) for ethnic minorities. Yet, a 2022 published report by the NHS Race and Health Observatory body, which examines health inequalities experienced by minoritized groups in England, unequivocally revealed that ethnic minority people's fear and distrust of mental health services form clear barriers to seeking help.
OBJECTIVE
To review CAMHS’ responsiveness to the specific needs of ethnic minority children and young people in England.
METHODS
The precepts of systematic review were used to locate, appraise and synthesize relevant studies across four central electronic databases, including snowballing approach. A total of 10 studies published between 2013 and 2020 met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed in this study.
RESULTS
The included studies have substantial England coverage, Northwest England (3), South England, precisely at Greater London (n = 3), East England (n = 2), and West England (n = 1), with national spread (n = 2). Thus, six analytical themes emerged: CAMHs are responding with services that are hardly accessible; Culturally inappropriate; Direct response; The role of religion; Voluntary and statutory setting; and Institutional defence and racism.
CONCLUSIONS
CAMHS needs to respond by closing the inequality gap in mental healthcare delivery for ethnic minority children and young people. It would be by ensuring CAMHS is accessible and promoting a functional intersectoral approach between the statutory and voluntary sectors within the local community. In addition, improve the capacity to disseminate targeted and relevant information to ethnic minorities with a culturally sensitive CAMHS devoid of racial aggression.