Shifting the Dial: The Disproportionate Impact of Poor Mental Health on Young Black Men

Westminster Insight's Teenage Mental Health Digital Conference will hear from leading experts, frontline practitioners and third sector advocates on the rise of teen mental health issues during the pandemic and how current support services and structures must respond.

To coincide with this timely conference, we spoke with our expert speaker, Nathan Dennis from First Class Foundation about their Shifting the Dial project.

Nathan Dennis, Founder Trustee, First Class Foundation

The project, funded by the National Lottery, is in its third year and works in partnership with Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, The Birmingham Repertory Theatre and our evaluation partner, Centre for Mental Health.

This project came about due to the disproportionate impact of poor mental health on young black men. The purpose of the project is to reduce the number of black men of all ages, being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and to create services that are more culturally appropriate.

We conducted an evaluation into the root causes of this increase in poor mental health of members of the black community in the Birmingham and Solihull areas prior to launching the Shifting the Dial project. We found that the impact of living in unsafe neighbourhoods, lack of education and the wear and tear of racism were direct causes. The main difference we found between black men and other ethnicities is that they do not feel comfortable speaking with a GP if they were feeling depressed or anxious which is down to a lack of trust in the system. It’s only when they hit a crisis point that they may consider coming forward. At this point, it may be too late as their mental health spills over.

We have started getting older black men with lived experience to mentor the younger guys who may be struggling with their mental health and in need of advice. We strive to create an environment where peer-to-peer mentorship takes the lead with the main goal of normalising discussions around mental health and to make everyone who gets involved aware that they are not alone. This involves moving away from the typical masculine topics of cars, sports, relationships, etc. and confronting mental health head on.

Something that I would like to see moving forward is social prescribing. That means that black men in the first instance feel comfortable speaking to a GP and then, instead of them prescribing antidepressants when they say they are feeling depressed or low, they will prescribe a few sessions at our project to take part in a session at a music studio, undertake talk therapy, or assign 20 sessions in the gym with a personal trainer. Trying different methods to help someone struggling with poor mental health rather than immediately medicating them.

Another goal is to avoid talking about mental health in a clinical setting all of the time and instead have these discussions as part of the wider community. Food, music, soft furniture and friendly faces in a setting that feels like home from home as opposed to a clinic.

A quote was said recently at one of our discussion groups which outlines the essence of what we are trying to achieve and that’s “We might not have it all together. But together, we have it all.” Also, as part of the sessions we discuss serious topics such as the increased rates in suicide amongst black men. However, we discuss this whilst engaging in physical activities and also while sitting down and eating a meal together. These are the kinds of things that normalises discussing such a heavy but hugely important and relevant subject.

Nathan will be part of a panel discussion on ‘The Role of the Community for Creating Culturally Informed Safe Spaces That Support Young People’s Mental Health’ at this year’s Teenage Mental Health Digital Conference, broadcast live from our London studio on Tuesday 29th June. For more information on Nathan’s session and for the full agenda, visit our website: https://wminsgt.link/tmh.

For more information about the Shifting the Dial project and the work that First Class Foundation does, check out their website: https://firstclassnation.com/.