Associations between ethnicity and mental health problems among children and adolescents in the United Kingdom: A systematic review and narrative synthesis

Abstract

Background: The associations between ethnicity and mental health problems (MHPs) among children and adolescents in the UK have been reported in recent years. However, this is the first review to compare and synthesise these associations and provides a deep understanding of child MHPs across ethnic groups in the UK.

Method: A comprehensive literature search across seven electronic databases and fifteen websites was conducted. The inclusion criteria focused on studies reporting quantitative associations between ethnicity and MHPs for children and adolescents aged 0-19 residing in the UK. Given the high heterogeneity of the studies, a narrative synthesis was adopted to analyse the associations.

Results: Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria, involving a total of 48,281 participants. The review reports no significant differences in the risk of experiencing general MHPs among children from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Black Caribbean groups compared to their White British counterparts. However, Black African children were less likely to develop general MHPs, while children in the Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Black Caribbean groups showed a higher risk for internalising problems. Externalising and conduct problems were similarly likely among children from Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds compared to White children, with Black Caribbean children showing a higher likelihood of these issues.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that most ethnic minority children and adolescents in the UK have comparable risks of MHPs to their White counterparts, although specific risks vary by ethnicity and MHP types. The results underscore the need for multifaceted analyses considering socioeconomic and cultural factors, beyond simple ethnic categorisations, to inform mental health services that effectively meet the diverse needs of the UK's child population. This review calls for more detailed and uniform categorisation in future research to understand and address the mental health disparities across different ethnic groups.

Keywords: Adolescents; Children; Ethnic disparities; Ethnic minority; Mental health; Mental health problems; Narrative synthesis.

Fig. 1

PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for the systematic review