This blog discusses how young Black men’s mental health has been hit hard by the pandemic and urgent cross-government action is needed now to avoid jeopardising their futures, according to a briefing published today by Centre for Mental Health.
Young Black men’s mental health during Covid-19 explores evidence of the unequal effects of Covid-19 on young Black men, including from the Shifting the Dial project in Birmingham that Centre for Mental Health is evaluating. It finds that:
- Disruption to education is widening inequalities experienced by young Black men, who are more likely to be excluded and have their grades underpredicted
- Young Black men aged 16-25 are amongst the hardest hit by job losses and are more likely to report a fall in income because of lockdown
- Covid-19 enforcement and policing are disproportionately affecting young Black men, who are much more likely to be stopped and searched and issued fines for breaching lockdown measures
- As a result of some of these challenges, young Black men are at risk of higher levels of mental distress during the pandemic compared to other groups.