This summer, we hosted the third instalment of our AHA Seminar Sessions, a series that brings together leading experts on alcohol harm to raise awareness around people’s experience and policy developments and fosters mutual learning amongst people in the field. This session focused on how alcohol harm impacts different ethnic groups in the UK and what can be done to ensure that access to treatment is possible for all.
Dr Laura Goodwin, a Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University, and Jaz Rai OBE, founder and chair of the Sikh Recovery Network spoke at our seminar session in June.
Firstly, Laura presented preliminary findings of an Alcohol Change UK-funded research project on mental health and alcohol use in racial and ethnic minority groups.
There is a well-evidenced relationship between alcohol use and mental health. Existing research suggests that racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to experience these harms compared to White British groups drinking at the same level, as they are less likely to seek or complete treatment and may experience poorer treatment outcomes.
By looking at more specific ethnic categorisations, Laura’s team were able to unmask insights previously lost in broader categories, such as differences in experiences amongst South Asian ethnic groups. Nondrinking was highest for the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, while those of Indian ethnicity with psychological distress were more likely to drink at harmful levels than those without distress. Similarly, although hazardous drinking was more likely among Black Caribbean groups, the association between psychological distress and alcohol use was stronger among Black African groups.
The research also confirms that people with mental health issues drink for a multitude of reasons, including enjoyment and to cope with previous trauma. There were some reports of negative experiences of mental health support, and encountering stigma from family and communities, particularly around drinking.
Following Laura’s presentation, Jaz spoke about how his own experiences with addiction and recovery led to the birth of the Sikh Recovery Network. The charity has now expanded from its first meeting in a temple in Derby to having a growing presence in Southall, Birmingham, Leicester, Coventry, with plans to extend across Yorkshire and Kent.
Jaz reiterated the need to address stigma, which appeared as a reoccurring factor in his personal and professional experience of addiction and recovery. Despite the prevalence of alcohol use disorders and suicide in the Punjabi Sikh community, addiction remains a massive taboo, underlining the need for people to be open about their own journeys with the community and break down the shame attached to these experiences. Education about alcohol harm and the help that is available is fundamental to limit the damage done.
Organisations such as the Sikh Recovery Network can support service providers in getting into communities that might be otherwise reluctant, bridging the gap with essential skills support workers might be lacking, such as language knowledge. Jaz has worked with charities Turning Point and Nacoa to share such expertise. Collaborating this way in Leicester led to a 50% increase in people from the Punjabi Sikh community coming forward to seek help.
The Sikh Recovery Network have also conducted a survey with the British Sikh Report, which will provide evidence on people’s drinking habits, and identify gaps in existing services. Preliminary findings from this project echo the close relationship between alcohol use and mental health evident in Laura’s research.
Questions from the audience sparked conversations around what is needed to improve treatment services and their visibility. The speakers’ answers included the following recommendations:
- The need to go into different communities, with appropriate training to ensure treatment is culturally empathetic.
- Service providers must be less fearful and ask the right people and organisations for support when they feel unable to deliver.
- Systematic screening processes would help to avoid assumptions that practitioners might make based on somebody’s ethnic background.
- Better integration between mental health and alcohol treatment services as well as other social services.
You can catch up on the session and listen to the Q+A in full on YouTube. Thank you to our lovely speakers, Laura and Jaz, and Chair Andrea Mohan (University of Dundee) for a fantastic seminar!
Written by Poppy Hull
This blog was published with the permission of the author. The views expressed are solely the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Alcohol Health Alliance or its members.
Related pages
Race and alcohol addiction treatment services
Sohan Sahota explores what barriers exist for those from black and Asian backgrounds who are seeking support for alcohol addiction
Alcohol harm in the Punjabi Sikh community
Simran Kaur Bagri reflects upon how alcohol harm has impacted the Punjabi Sikh community in the UK