Mental health services must act to reverse the traumatic effects of racism

A new report Trauma-informed care and racialised communities finds that racism not only causes trauma and mental illness but also prevents people from getting the right support for their mental health. 

The report was commissioned by the NHS Race and Health Observatory and produced in partnership with Centre for Mental Health and Coffee Afrik CIC, and was informed by engagement with service users and those affected by racism. 

Overt racism is becoming more common, fuelled and normalised by divisive rhetoric from politicians and others in positions of power and influence. Our work shows that these experiences are formative and long-lasting, affecting self-worth, educational attainment and overall life outcomes. 

The research highlights that people from racialised communities face disproportionately high levels of trauma, with NHS funded mental health services meant to support them often reproducing this trauma rather than alleviating it.  

Mental health services, if designed appropriately, can help to heal the effects of racial trauma by addressing the structural systemic injustices that cause it and by practising cultural humility.  

However, mental health care is often not culturally sensitive and does not address the ways people experience multiple forms of discrimination – including xenophobia, sexism, classism, homophobia, islamophobia and antisemitism.  

Our report calls for the universal adoption of anti-racism and trauma-informed approaches to mental health care, backed up by the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework.  

In addition, we note the need for every integrated care board to ensure it is commissioning mental health support that meets the needs of racialised and marginalised communities, working in partnership with community organisations and patients themselves.  

We are hosting a webinar at 11am on 23 April in partnership with Centre for Mental Health and Coffee Afrik to discuss the findings of the report and what it means for mental health services. 

Chaired by The Observatory’s chair Dame Marie Gabriel, speakers will discuss the nature of trauma experienced by racialised communities, and the changes needed for healthcare services to deliver trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, anti-racist mental health care.

Professor Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said: “While it is true that awareness of the concept of trauma and trauma-informed care has grown in recent years, our work has highlighted that this understanding is patchy and inconsistent. Nowhere is this more apparent than at the intersection between trauma and racism. 

This country is at a crossroads when it comes to race relations. The past few years have seen a return of divisive racial tensions both on our streets and in mainstream political rhetoric. We need to be clear that the everyday experiences of racism and race inequity are a cause of psychological harm, and that this trauma can be compounded by feelings of dismissal or disbelief faced when accessing NHS services. 

It’s essential that health services are co-produced and co-designed with communities to genuinely embed an understanding of race and racism, and the intersecting ways in which racialised communities experience trauma and treatment. A new kind of compassionate, trauma-informed care is needed and is possible. The simple act of listening to and understanding our diverse communities is the first step to arriving at that goal.” 

Andy Bell, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health, said: “Racial trauma is a root cause of mental ill health. Racism is one of the reasons why people from racialised communities in the UK experience higher rates of mental ill health and coercive treatment from mental health services.  

Recognising the importance of racial trauma and partnering with community organisations can help mental health services to offer better support and to heal rather than harm. It’s also vital for the many thousands of health and care workers whose lives are affected by racism and discrimination. We urge all mental health services to commit to anti-racist and trauma-informed approaches in all aspects of their work.” 

Abdirahim Hassan, founder of Coffee Afrik CIC, said: “This report makes one thing clear: trauma does not happen in isolation. For racialised communities in the UK, trauma is layered and shaped by racism, migration, poverty, policing, housing injustice and historical harm. Too often, our systems reproduce that trauma rather than repair it. 

At Coffee Afrik CIC, we believe trauma-informed care must also be anti-racist, culturally grounded and community-led. Healing cannot happen in spaces that deny lived experience. Through our hubs and partnerships, we are building infrastructures of care rooted in dignity, listening and collective power. 

This report is not just research; it is a call to action. If we are serious about equity, we must move beyond rhetoric and invest in community-led models that understand both harm and healing. Communities already hold the knowledge. The system must learn to listen.”