Have you noticed that…?
47% of ethnic minority employees reported experiencing poor mental health symptoms related to work in the last year.
25% of ethnic minority employees stated their ethnicity was a factor in these symptoms, compared to only 1 per cent of those with work related symptoms who were white.
30% of ethnic minority employees felt that they had experienced negative workplace behaviours or outcomes in the past year due to their ethnicity.
Reference: Business in the Community’s (BITC) 2019 Mental Health at Work: Time to Take Ownership report
Mental health challenges and experience amongst the ethnic minority groups have come to the forefront of conversation in recent times. This month, we’ve spoken with MYNDUP Psychotherapist Nilima and Integrative Counsellor Candy, to discover more about ethnic minority mental health disparities at work, and what we can do to better understand and change the narrative.
How does racial or ethnic discrimination impact the mental health of ethnic minority employees?
Nilima: In a number of ways: increased stress and anxiety; depression; PTSD; chronic stress from discrimination is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and other stress-related illnesses; substance abuse to deal with the emotional pain; social withdrawal and isolation; impact on self-identity and self-worth.
In addition, ethnic minorities in the UK face a higher risk of mental health problems due to ongoing discrimination and systemic racism. Mental health services are seen as predominantly white and structurally racist, with a tendency to misdiagnose or overlook the effects of racism, trauma, and social disadvantage on mental health, which leads to ethnic minority people not engaging with services when they are in need.
Discrimination can also come from within their/our own communities as well, where seeking help from professionals outside of these communities is not encouraged. Ethnic minority employees often face micro aggressions, which are subtle, often unintentional, forms of discrimination. These can include comments or assumptions based on race that undermine an individual's sense of belonging and self-worth. Over time, these micro aggressions can accumulate, leading to significant stress and mental health deterioration.
Candy: Racial or ethnic discrimination impacts the mental health of ethnic minority employees profoundly and extensively. It creates a hostile environment where ethnic minority employees are recognised as 'not us' but as 'others' due to their differences. The workplace becomes an unsuitable environment with a significant psychological impact, leading to division. The permission of direct and indirect unacceptable behaviours toward ethnic minority employees has a significant effect on their mental health, making them incapable of performing and doubtful of their abilities; this can lead at times to perfectionism, where the only way to do well is to excel to the point of exhaustion. The employee is in a fight or flight response because they have to "survive" their environment, often thinking there is no possibility of change or exit. This workplace makes the employee feel attacked, diminished, ridiculed, denigrated, singled out, boxed in, categorised, isolated, and not good enough.
Can you provide examples of how cultural backgrounds influence the way ethnic minority employees experience and express mental health issues?
Nilima: I think it's important to state that it's best not to generalise and make assumptions, but it is helpful to be aware that there may be differences of experience between my own and others. For example, being born British and culturally also South Asian, it was always difficult for me to express emotions because on the British side, we don't talk about anything too deep until we've had a few drinks! On the South Asian side, my family is very expressive emotionally but that doesn't mean that things are communicated necessarily articulately. Both these cultures attach a lot of shame around expressing mental health issues.
In research I conducted in my Masters, I found that South Asian clients generally found it difficult to talk to other South Asian people about their difficulties because communities are so small it was difficult to trust that confidentiality would be maintained between client and therapist. Also, British born South Asian clients found it difficult with South Asian therapists because they worried they would be judged more than if they worked with non-South Asian therapists.
On the other hand, I have worked with a number of South Asian clients who find that our shared cultural experiences make explaining things easier than with non-South Asian therapists. There is a failure both within and without the psychotherapy/mental health community to highlight the diversity that exists within ethnic minority communities which means that employers are left to assume that one non-white person in one company is the same as another.
What steps can organisations take to create a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture?
Candy: To create a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture, organisations and those in leading positions must recognise and state their limitations in understanding the complexity of differences and diversity to create an environment that favours the individual for their uniqueness. Organisations have to be aware that there will always be work to be done and be open to being challenged. Implementing open and honest discussion groups facilitated by a competent professional to provide a safe space for employees to talk and share ideas on how to build a community (unity) within the organisation, where anyone's opinion is validated, valued and not questioned or dismissed, is vital. Looking at the broader social, political and economic conditions that perpetuate discrimination and hostility is also fundamental. Last, a regular review (6 months) of their diversity and inclusion policy is critical.
Nilima:
- Talk to your employees. Everyone has a story to tell. It is important to name racism and discrimination and to believe people when they divulge their experiences. No company will ever be perfect, but listening and BELIEVING employees is a great first step to making people feel supported. Much of what I hear from clients is that they are taking their concerns to HR but they do not feel heard and the onus is being placed on them to work around the bully. These employees then feel powerless and unseen which leads to them feeling unempowered with low self-worth and self-esteem.
- Find out what is happening in organisations that make people feel excluded and LISTEN to the feedback to take the necessary steps to create a more inclusive and supportive environment
- Senior leadership needs to explore their own biases in therapy rather than expecting their employees to take care of their mental health to manage the exclusions they are facing. This could unearth why organisations are exclusive and unsupportive. Take a top-down approach where senior leadership does the work to understand why THEIR company is being experienced as exclusive and unsupportive. How can employers ensure cultural competence when addressing mental health issues to ethnic minority staff?
Nilima: Rather than cultural 'competence' I would suggest aiming for cultural humility, which means to not make assumptions about the person in front of you. Just because someone may look a certain way, does not mean they experience life in the same way. For example, Rishi Sunak and I have similar skin colours, but we are VERY different people! If you Google 'cultural humility' there are a lot of resources out there.
How can workplace mental health programmes be tailored to better support ethnic minority employees?
Nilima: Ask employees if their needs are being met, and if not, how can things be improved. Use the feedback to tailor programmes. However, it needs to be different based on levels and sector - a manager's needs will be different to someone more junior just as a lawyer's needs will be different to a sales person's. Tailoring requires some work from the company to ask their employees questions from a place of curiosity, rather than making them feel bad for wanting support and dictating to them what they should get out of these programmes.
Are there any specific programs or initiatives that have been particularly effective in supporting ethnic minority employees’ mental health?
Nilima: Having support groups where people can share their experiences, like those that emerged after the Black Lives Matter protests. In my experience groups without a leader have worked better.
What role should managers and HR departments play in supporting the mental health of ethnic minority employees?
Candy: Managers and HR departments play a huge role in supporting the mental health of ethnic minority employees. They must begin by challenging and changing their prejudices and biases. They have to be educated and trained to a standard of knowledge and understanding of what employees might be going through so that they can recognise what the ethnic minority employees might need and how, at times, they may be unable to communicate their needs for fear of repercussions with the manager, within the team or organisation. The organisation must protect its employees and recognise when they need external help (a therapist or another organisation) to give the appropriate support that the employee deserves. Organisations can fail their employees if they allow themselves to be ignorant or downplay the realities of life in a hostile environment and how that can affect ethnic minority employees' mental health.
How can employers ensure that mental health messages are culturally sensitive and resonate with ethnic minority employees?
Candy: To ensure that mental health messages are culturally sensitive and resonate with ethnic minority employees, one has to consider whether the messages are linguistically suitable if the individual or group in charge of writing those messages has the knowledge, understanding and experience to draft a transparent, inclusive and straightforward message that acknowledges and addresses unique needs. Understanding what is written is for the receivers and how it is received is paramount. An inclusive team of diverse employees could be the best option. The message doesn't have to have room for interpretation or division; it has to promote a firm idea of openness (embracing opinions about the messages from employees), honesty (acknowledging the work in progress and growth to be done), curiosity (wanting to learn more about the employees), create a safe space for exploration where employees can feel like they contribute in shaping the future of their organisation by being themselves.
Nilima: Speak to your ethnic minority employees and ask them directly!
We’d like to thank Nilima and Candy for their contributions to this article.
If you’d like to book a session with Candy click here.