• Clip
• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 50 - 59 >> Lorenz - Interview 11 >> Lorenz believes it's important for a doctor to be open minded and to have the same belief system as the patient.

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 40 - 49 >> Imani - Interview 26 >> Imani's having Christian counselling with a "brilliant" counsellor and says although her ethnicity (white) doesn't matter, her spiritual beliefs do.

Imani, 48, describes herself as African-Caribbean, and was born in the UK. She was diagnosed with depression aged 47 having survived an abusive marriage. Imani is feeling better now she is taking antidepressants and having Christian counselling.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 20 - 29 >> Ali - Interview 33 >> Ali sometimes wonders whether God is out to get him. (Played by an actor).

Ali, 27, was born in Pakistan and has been studying and working in the UK. Ali says that although it's easier to explain things to professionals from the same culture, as long as the other person is understanding, you can always clarify things.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 40 - 49 >> Devon - Interview 12 >> Devon says professionals could treat people with mental health problems as a whole: mentally, physically and spiritually.

Devon, 49, is married and was born in Jamaica; he came to the UK in 1965. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia aged 22 and depression aged 48. He is a founder member of the organization Sound Minds - www.soundminds.co.uk - a user-led music project.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 40 - 49 >> Hanif - Interview 30 >> Hanif says he thinks there has not been enough research in the UK into the effectiveness of faith based interventions.

Hanif, 49, describes himself as Indian and has lived in the UK for 25 years. Hanif experienced cannabis induced psychosis and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder aged 23. Hanif works in mental health, campaigning to reduce stigma.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 50 - 59 >> Lorenz - Interview 11 >> Lorenz also hears different kinds of voices and they mainly say "good things" but can tell him to hurt himself.

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 50 - 59 >> Edward - Interview 10 >> Edward felt suicidal but changed his mind when he began to feel "neutral" - he believes this was "a miracle".

Edward, 59, was born in Australia and diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20. A former head teacher, he took early retirement for health reasons and now stacks supermarket shelves. He believes his condition is caused by genetic and environmental factors.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 30 - 39 >> Shareen - Interview 22 >> Shareen asked herself why she was suffering and wondered whether she was being punished for something. (Played by an actor).

Shareen, 39, describes herself as Asian. She was born in the UK but lived in Pakistan between the ages of 11 and 19. Shareen experiences panic attacks, anxiety and depression. Shareen's sister, Marlene was also interviewed.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 60 - 69 >> Anton - Interview 13 >> Anton felt as if God had put a curse on him and wondered if he had done something wrong to deserve becoming unwell.

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 40 - 49 >> Devon - Interview 12 >> Devon describes how he came to form the organisation Sound Minds.

Devon, 49, is married and was born in Jamaica; he came to the UK in 1965. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia aged 22 and depression aged 48. He is a founder member of the organization Sound Minds - www.soundminds.co.uk - a user-led music project.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 40 - 49 >> Niabingi - Interview 01 >> She says her mental health has been a spiritual experience and that there should be more focus on spirituality in mental health.

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 40 - 49 >> Hanif - Interview 30 >> Hanif recalls being treated for possession and explains why he believes that a combination of prayer and medication - "dua and dawa" - is helpful.

Hanif, 49, describes himself as Indian and has lived in the UK for 25 years. Hanif experienced cannabis induced psychosis and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder aged 23. Hanif works in mental health, campaigning to reduce stigma.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 40 - 49 >> Sarah - Interview 28 >> Sarah finds prayer and exercise help her manage. (Original interview in Cantonese, text in English).

Sarah, a married mother of 4, is Chinese and came to the UK from Hong Kong when she got married. She was diagnosed with depression when she was 46. Sarah gets a lot of comfort from her religion - she says she would feel very depressed without it.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 40 - 49 >> Reena - Interview 07 >> Reena describes her symptoms of depression and how she felt better after going to Mecca and receiving a talisman. (Audio in Bengali, text in English).

Reena, 42, describes herself as Bangladeshi, and came to the UK aged 9. She was diagnosed with depression in her early 30s.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 30 - 39 >> Marlene - Interview 23 >> Marlene describes how an Islamic blessing helped her, but how people talk about the harm that can be done by "black magic". (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 40 - 49 >> Imani - Interview 26 >> This woman who escaped an abusive marriage describes feeling abandoned by God and how this tested her faith and triggered her depression.

Imani, 48, describes herself as African-Caribbean, and was born in the UK. She was diagnosed with depression aged 47 having survived an abusive marriage. Imani is feeling better now she is taking antidepressants and having Christian counselling.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 50 - 59 >> Lorenz - Interview 11 >> Lorenz recalls how he believed he was possessed, describes his individual approach to spirituality and says spiritual beliefs can be a hindrance in ps

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 50 - 59 >> Edward - Interview 10 >> Edward describes his own individual spirituality which helped him to overcome suicidal feelings.

Edward, 59, was born in Australia and diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20. A former head teacher, he took early retirement for health reasons and now stacks supermarket shelves. He believes his condition is caused by genetic and environmental factors.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 30 - 39 >> Dolly - Interview 14 >> Writing gave her a "reason to wake up in the morning"; she says art gives you your voice back.

Dolly, a 36 year old writer and author of The World is Full of Laughter, is of mixed ethnicity (White/Asian), and first experienced psychosis aged 14. She finds Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Buddhism and meditation very useful.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> Aged 30 - 39 >> Ugo - Interview 02 >> Ugo says the police did not recognise that she had a mental health problem because she is Black; she was barred from her church when she was diagnosed

This Black-British woman became depressed in 1981 after 6 miscarriages, and losing her husband and home. She's also diagnosed with personality disorder (which she disagrees with) and lost custody of her child because of her mental health problems.

• Topic
• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority experiences >> The role of faith, spirituality & religion >> The role of faith, spirituality & religion

The role of faith, spirituality & religion