§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to(a) identify and (b) treat different classifications of mental illness in (i) women, (ii) people from black and ethnic minority groups and (iii) the general population in each Government Office of the Regions area. [141867]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonInformation regarding the identification and treatment of mental disorder by gender and ethnicity in each locality is not available centrally.
The national service framework for mental health, published in September 1999, set out seven evidence-based national standards for mental health, designed to improve the quality of services for everyone with mental health needs, regardless of their gender or ethnicity.
The Government have established a new programme of work through the National Institute for Mental Health to support the development of services that ensure that individuals from black and minority ethnic communities are given fair and equitable treatment. In October, we also launched for consultation: "Delivering Race Equality: A Framework for Action". The consultation ends in January 2004 and full guidance will be issued thereafter.
The Government have also published this year guidance on Mainstreaming Gender and Women's Mental Health, available at www.nimhe.org.uk, which recommends ways to take action to mainstream gender and women's mental health. It will assist services in delivering gender sensitive and gender specific services.