Use of mental health services by minority ethnic groups in England

Over the last decade, four new types of mental health care have been introduced in the English NHS. This study examines how far these have been used in the care of minority ethnic groups.

The study was based on specially collected surveys. All PCTs reported numbers of users of Crisis Resolution / Home Treatment (CRHT), Early Intervention in psychosis (EI) and Assertive Outreach (AO) teams as part of the NHS Information Centre 'Omnibus' returns for the final quarter of 2008/09. At the same time, the 13 PCTs with first wave services in the new Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme supplied reports of numbers referred to and entering services and numbers finishing treatment and moving towards recovery.