Black People 80% More Likely to be Detained Under Mental Health Act

11 Times More Likely Subject To a Community Treatment Order

Government ‘Must Prioritise’ Mental Health Act Reform

London: Latest NHS statistics revealed a black person is four times more likely to be detained under the act than a white person.

Between April 2021 and March 2022, people were detained 53,337 times under the act. Black people were four times more likely to be detained than white people and 11 times more likely to be subject to a community treatment order.

Following an independent review of the 1983 act, which found an ‘unacceptable overrepresentation’ of black people among those detained, the government pledged last year to deliver mental health legislation ‘fit for the 21st century that would address racial disparities ‘that have long been part of the way the act has been used.

Society vice president Nick Emmerson said the latest figures show why reforming the act must be a priority. ‘The current system means there is a risk that compulsory detention and treatment is used too often and that patients do not have enough involvement in decisions about their care,’ he said.

Read more: Monidipa Fouzder, Law Societ Gazette, https://rb.gy/oqlc6d