Exploring inequalities in access to specialised psychological therapies for people of ethnic minority groups: a data linkage study

Striking inequalities persist in health outcomes for people of minority groups despite adjustment for socioeconomic and demographic factors. Women from all ethnic minority groups are consistently less likely to be diagnosed or offered treatment for mental health disorders, pharmacological or non-pharmacological, in primary care compared to White women. There is lack of data for inequalities in outcomes for men. Whereas there has been a national drive to improve access to short term psychological therapies via the IAPT services there is no local or national data on inequalities in access to specialised psychological therapies for people of different ethnic minority groups. We propose to investigate mental and physical health diagnoses amongst people registered in primary care and ascertain access to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) as well as to more specialised psychological therapy offered by the local mental health services.