NHS Encourages Black Communities to Seek Talking Therapies

NHS Talking Therapies encourages Black communities to seek free, confidential support for anxiety conditions and mental wellbeing.

Looking after mental health is as important as caring for physical health, yet many people struggle to recognise when they need help or feel their symptoms are serious enough to seek support.

Around one in five adults in England, an estimated 9.4 million people, are affected by a common mental health condition but millions are missing out on treatment that could help them.

An NHS campaign is encouraging people from Black communities to come forward for support with common anxiety‑related mental health conditions, as many continue to face barriers to recognising symptoms or seeking help early.

Stigma, silence and the pressure to “stay strong” can mean people delay getting support. Many do not realise that symptoms such as panic attacks, flashbacks, compulsions, obsessive thoughts, fixation with appearance or overwhelming fear may be signs of treatable anxiety conditions.

NHS Talking Therapies offer free, confidential and effective support for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Panic Disorder, and people can self‑refer online without needing to see a GP first.

Therapists come from a wide range of backgrounds, and support can be delivered in person, over the phone or online, with options to receive help in your preferred language through multilingual therapists or confidential interpreters.

As part of the campaign, Dr Amos Ogunkoya and broadcaster Tyler West recently joined The Marvyn Harrison Podcast, a show known for honest, culturally grounded conversations about identity, masculinity, mental health…