Racism and COVID-19 crisis compound mental health problems, Bectu webinar hears
The link between race and mental health, and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, were explored at a Bectu webinar on Thursday (22 October) during Black History Month.
Bectu digital campaigns officer Naomi Bennett-Johnson (top middle) hosting the webinar with speakers Philippa Childs, Matt Longley, Alex Pumfrey, Dami Adeyeye, Victoria Cabral and Leo Anna Thomas
Speakers were Philippa Childs, head of Bectu; Dami Adeyeye, director and producer of A Dark Mind; Alex Pumfrey, CEO of the Film & TV Charity; Matt Longley and Leo Anna Thomas of 6ft From The Spotlight; and Victoria Cabral, programmes manager at Black Thrive. The webinar was hosted by Naomi Bennett-Johnson, Bectu digital campaigns officer.
Redoubling efforts
Opening the event, Philippa Childs said that the murder of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic and the global Black Lives Matter movement have shone a new spotlight on the need to challenge racism and increase diversity within the creative industries.
Despite Bectu’s previous strong record on trying to address diversity, the issues have now been been brought into even sharper focus and “we have decided to redouble our efforts into the diversity issues we have been addressing.
“We are involved with the Coalition for Change in the TV industry, which has sprung up to try and make working life better for freelancers in TV, focusing on long hours, the impact on mental health and the lack of opportunity and diversity.”
Bectu wrote to new BBC director general Tim Davies on his first day in post, after an Independent article exposed systemic racism at the corporation. So far he has shown commitment to addressing the problems, and Bectu will hold him to that commitment.
The union has also commissioned Marcus Ryder to investigate developing an external body in broadcasting, where people can report their experiences and challenges. Philippa explained that such a body would be able to get a better picture of racism in the industry and improve support for people experiencing it.
Labels and stigma hide stories
Dami Adeyeye, an actor and producer, described his personal mental health journey and how it led him to make a documentary.
In 2018 he became a maths teacher to support his acting training and due to the cost of living in London. But that same summer he was made to resign from the job.
“I went into depression to the point where I was suicidal. I tried to speak to friends and family but no one really understood how I was feeling or what I was trying to say.
“That made me worse. I was secluded as I was living in a house share, not with friends. If you leave your house in London you’re already paying just to breathe.”
Then Dami had the idea for a documentary and began researching mental health, finding that a great deal of stigma prevented the black community from speaking about these issues. For him personally the stigma related to race, gender, culture and religion.
Dami said a diagnosis such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder or ADHD can increase the stigma. “But long before a label is there, there is a story, a journey.” The film tells the stories of six people from the black community.
Compound effect of COVID-19
Alex Pumfrey described the “compound effect” of recent events on the black community. Even before COVID-19, the Film & TV charity’s research had revealed the shocking scale of mental health problems in the film and TV industry and it has now embarked on a two-year-programme for mental health.
The pandemic is making things even worse, she said, but everyone “is not in the same boat, though they might be in the same storm.
“We know that nearly one in ten of our BAME community have been ill with COVID-19 and a shocking 7% bereaved in their immediate family.”
Alex said that “it is incumbent on all of us to provide support in specific and targeted ways to all those affected”.
She also drew attention to an “amazing array” of support proliferating in recent months, much of it helped with grants from the Film & TV Charity.
Help on productions
Matt Longley, co-founder of 6ft from the Spotlight, and his colleague Leo Anna Thomas said they had created and trialled a wellbeing facilitator role to address the lack of training in mental health issues and the absence of a duty of care in workplaces.
With funding support from the Film & TV Charity, five BAME people are being trained.
The facilitator will be on set to help the production meet its duty of care, support cast and crew and promote best practice to change the industry.
Shocking ignorance
Victoria Cabral from Black Thrive shared some barriers that black people face when accessing mental health services, adding that lack of data and institutional racism make this a complex area.
She cited shocking research showing some medical students believe black people feel less pain; black patients are half as likely to receive pain medication as white patients; black babies are more likely to survive when cared for by black doctors; and black women are five times more likely to die in pregnancy, birth or post partum.
Recent research has suggested more black people with COVID-19 leaving intensive care when they had black doctors.
“This is physical health and way more tangible than mental health, so if we can see barriers here around pain and medication, just imagine what that is like when somebody is presenting to mental health services.”
There is a misconceived idea that black people are stronger, and when there is mental pain, it is seen as extreme, she added. Data shows black people are more likely to be given medication than talking therapies.
Victoria pointed to the impact of social, environmental and economic factors in triggering mental health problems, with research showing racism can directly affect people’s mental and physical health.
In the workplace she stressed the need to put marginalised people in decision-making spaces, gather data on equality and adopt active anti-racist approaches.
