Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic people; and what action has been taken by (1) Public Health England, and (2) the NHS, taken to address any such impact.

Public Health England (PHE) has been monitoring the mental health and wellbeing impacts of COVID-19, including the impact on people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. The latest report concluded that the evidence of association between ethnicity and pandemic related impacts on mental health and wellbeing remains inconclusive; some studies report disproportionate effects on some but not all BAME groups, and others reporting no relationship. PHE continues to track and report on the impact as more evidence becomes available.

NHS England is working closely with ethnic minority experts by experience, health professionals, voluntary and community partners and others to support rapid knowledge and information sharing to encourage timely access to National Health Service mental health services, and just as importantly, good ethnic minority experiences within those services.

PHE is running the Better Health-Every Mind Matters campaign to support children and young people’s mental wellbeing. It is working with BAME organisations and experts to deliver campaign messages in culturally-appropriate ways, through dedicated BAME media channels, translated into other languages, where required.