Experiences of adults from a Black Minority Ethnic (BME) background who have been detained as inpatients under the Mental Health Act (1983).

Aims: To explore the experiences of adults from a Black Minority Ethnic (BME) background detained as inpatients under the Mental Health Act (1983; 2007). Background: Significantly more people from a BME background are detained under the Mental Health Act (1983; 2007) than people from White ethnic backgrounds, and this has been consistent for decades. Research has largely focussed on exploring this quantitatively, through correlations between a number of variables. Contrastingly, qualitative research into the lived experiences of detention for BME people has been sparse. Methodology: A critical realist research paradigm was used to qualitatively explore BME experiences of detention. This incorporated semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 12 self-identified BME participants, all of whom were currently detained as inpatients under the Mental Health Act (1983; 2007). Results: An inductive thematic analysis was used to interpret four themes and fifteen sub-themes: ‘help is decided by others, not tailored to me’; ‘I am not a person; I am a Black patient’; ‘mistreated or neglected instead of cared for’; and ‘sectioning can be a space for sanctuary and support’. Conclusion: BME people have a unique experience of detention that is racialised and racist, as well as shared experiences with others who have been detained. This reflects systemic, psychodynamic and cognitive theories of race and has implications for legislation, clinical practice and further research.