Has the Uk Brexit Decision Increased Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Uk black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities and How Would we Know?

While there is a longstanding body of research on severe mental health issues such as psychosis and suicide amongst Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, less attention is paid to the wider range of mental health issues for these communities such as depression, anxiety and stress. Often people may try to manage these issues through self-medicating (smoking, alcohol abuse or other substance abuse) or access to non-statutory services (including religious ministry) rather than visiting a GP. In the aftermath of the UK referendum to leave the European Union some have argued that mainstream media narratives have increasingly shifted towards ‘normalizing’ negative rhetoric about immigration. Although there is some evidence that across the UK racist physical assaults and harassment have increased there has been limited exploration of the mental health impact of this rhetoric
Author(s): David Truswel

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