Mental Health Career Workshop for Black Students

This blog was authored by the Race Equity & Ethnic Diversity (REED) Group at DoP: Jane Han, Lauren Harding-Brown, Borbala Vagh, Nafiso Ahmed, and Rachel Royston.

There is a lack of Black representation in mental health careers. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, around 1% of professors came from Black backgrounds in the UK. In terms of clinical practice, only 9.6% of qualified clinical psychologists were from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds according to the NHS Workforce Statistics. Black voices in mental health careers matters because it contributes to culturally competent research and clinical practice.

In order to reduce this inequity, it is important that young Black students interested in mental health are able to start their career in academia and clinical practice. Therefore, the Black History Month committee based in the UCL Division of Psychiatry hosted a mental health career workshop for Black undergraduate students on November 29th. The aims of the workshop were to equip students with the proper tools to navigate the early stages of their career after their undergraduate qualification.

The workshop had a plethora of speakers from academic and clinical backgrounds, who shared wonderful, inspiring stories about their career trajectories. Many have presented the multiple challenges that came along with establishing a career in mental health and the practical guidance on how to overcome these challenges. Committee members delivered insight and resources into applying for careers in mental health. The workshop ended with a 1:1 mentoring session from staff from the Division of Psychiatry.

Students overall reported that they found the workshop incredibly helpful. One student said that the most important thing gained in the workshop was “that there is space in academia for someone like [them].” Another student reported that they found the workshop “really helpful and encouraging”, and they “definitely left feeling confident and hopeful.” Another student commented that they were “considering UCL for their MSc next year.”

We would like to thank everyone who attended and supported the workshop. We hope that the workshop contributes to the series of concerted efforts to promote equity within mental health careers.