A new investigation into the suicide epidemic among Gypsies, Roma and Travellers by Drive 2 Survive co-chair Jake Bowers has revealed a hidden mental health crisis that families are struggling to cope with. Is it time the NHS did more to stop Gypsies and Travellers reaching for the rope?
A series of three short films released today, and supported by the NHS Race and Health Observatory, explore the spate of suicides amongst Britain’s 600,000 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people. With as many as 11% of community members dying from suicide, the personal and candid testimonies contained highlight desperate health inequalities.
In 2022, the Observatory partnered with the University of Worcester to explore how mental health services are engaging with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities across the UK. Subsequently, a comprehensive report ‘Inequalities in Mental Health Care for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Communities: Identifying Best Practice’ was published in September 2023.
The suicide rate within this community is estimated to be up to seven times higher than all other communities. This is in addition to a shorter life expectancy of up to 10 years less in comparison to the national population average. These co-produced practical resources are designed to support professionals who provide mental health and care services to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities who face barriers in accessing digital services, securing employment, and have limited access to local healthcare services.
To illustrate the 2023 report findings, Romani journalist and film producer and Drive 2 Survive co-chair Jake Bowers, travelled from Kent to Cumbria during the summer of 2024 and explored the cost of poor mental health within his community. He said: “There’s an epidemic in the Gypsy and Traveller community that’s only known by the families who are suffering in silence. Our lives are being cut short by a mental health crisis that too often results in suicide.”
Jake also shares personal testimony and the devastating loss by suicide of his brother Danny, as he met other community members whose relatives have also taken their own lives. The three-part film series allow the bereaved to tell their loved one’s stories, whilst remaining anonymous. In Lincolnshire, Cambridge and Glasgow, the films explore the views of community activists who are tackling mental health issues within their own communities.
The three films can be viewed below:
All three films are available to watch here:
Comentários