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• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 40 - 49 >> Niabingi - Interview 01 >> She's ambivalent about taking an antipsychotic; although she realises she needs it she feels she isn't well if she's taking medication. (Played by an

This 42 year old Black, British born woman was diagnosed at the age of 25 with paranoid schizophrenia but disagrees with the paranoid part. She believes that her mental distress was caused by the racism she experienced when growing up.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 50 - 59 >> Raj - Interview 19 >> Raj's prescribed medication made him dribble, gave him bad breath, blood in the toilet, and unusual smelling urine. (Audio in Punjabi, text in English

Raj, 55, describes himself as British-Indian. He was born in India and came to the UK aged 13. He developed depression following a heart attack but says it took the doctor a long time to diagnose it. Raj's wife helps care for him.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 30 - 39 >> Shaukat - Interview 17 >> Shaukat found it difficult to sleep because he felt constantly anxious and tried hypnotherapy to see if it helped.

Shaukat, 36, was born in Pakistan and came to the UK aged 9. He has been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and general anxiety disorder. He finds going to support groups and talking to other people with similar experiences supportive and helpful.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 50 - 59 >> Raj - Interview 19 >> Raj didn't get enough information and found things out for himself; he would have liked more information about social security benefits and carers. (A

Raj, 55, describes himself as British-Indian. He was born in India and came to the UK aged 13. He developed depression following a heart attack but says it took the doctor a long time to diagnose it. Raj's wife helps care for him.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 30 - 39 >> Marlene - Interview 23 >> Marlene found a self-help book helpful for relaxation at bedtime but her daughter had to read it to her because she cannot read. (Played by an actor).

Marlene, 38, was diagnosed with anxiety aged 24. Marlene's father is Pakistani, and her mother is white. Her sister, Shareen, was also interviewed.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 50 - 59 >> Lorenz - Interview 11 >> Lorenz says CAMs, except perhaps for acupuncture, do not change the chemicals in body and therefore can only help in the early stages of mental health

Lorenz is a 50 year old Black Afro-Caribbean man who has been in the UK since 1966. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20 and this is now controlled by the anti-psychotic Aripiprazole (10mg daily) enabling Lorenz to work as a social care assistant.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 20 - 29 >> Tariq - Interview 06 >> Tariq tried various different CAMs but found them all unhelpful and doubts how they can work for others. (Played by an actor).

This 21 year old Asian student was diagnosed with manic depression and then schizophrenia. He disagrees that the mental health system is institutionally racist, saying that he encountered discrimination due to his mental health not his ethnicity.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 40 - 49 >> Niabingi - Interview 01 >> Says different professionals had different responses to her using herbal remedies and that the white professionals were very sceptical.

This 42 year old Black, British born woman was diagnosed at the age of 25 with paranoid schizophrenia but disagrees with the paranoid part. She believes that her mental distress was caused by the racism she experienced when growing up.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 60 - 69 >> Anton - Interview 13 >> Anton tried various CAMs because he was desperate. He said they were only "lightening my wallet" and he would only try them again if there was a clini

Anton, 64, is an Asian man who came from Sri Lanka to the UK in 1962. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder aged 45 and was given various medicines but none worked. Now he is not receiving any treatment: he was told by doctors they had "given up" on him.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 50 - 59 >> Nelsy - Interview 21 >> Nelsy has trained to give massage and says giving and receiving massage is relaxing and helped her to cope with counselling.

Nelsy, 56, was born in Colombia and has been in the UK for 19 years. Nelsy experienced a nervous breakdown. She believes that illnesses are caused by accumulated anger and "fear of the social pressures for an impossible social equality".

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 20 - 29 >> Patricia - Interview 16 >> Patricia says breathing exercises can help to prevent anxiety, but they are not helpful when she is having a panic attack.

Patricia, 25, describes herself as White European. She was born in Portugal and came to the UK to work and has been here for 9 months. For the past five years, Patricia has felt anxious every day and experienced numerous panic attacks.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 30 - 39 >> Sara - Interview 32 >> Sara has found different supplements and herbal remedies helpful for relaxation, sleeping and reducing her depression, but says they were not a "magic

Sara, 34, describes herself as Indian and has a diagnosis of depression. Sara's food bingeing was interpreted as psychotic behaviour and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. In her late twenties, however, a specialist diagnosed an eating disorder.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 60 - 69 >> Mae - Interview 04 >> Mae says herbal remedies have helped her, but urges people to be careful and to speak to their doctor and others who have tried them.

This 62 year old woman has manic depression and describes herself as mixed race. She enjoys life now and is glad to be alive. She thinks going to groups is important and says black families sometimes push away relatives with mental health problems.