Gypsy-Traveller communities are doubly disadvantaged in accessing mental health support. Mental health is a culturally taboo topic within Gypsy-Traveller communities, limiting opportunities to seek help, and experiences of unfair treatment and discrimination make communities mistrustful of mainstream health services.
This project has sought to build connections with Gypsy-Traveller communities to ensure their voices are part of the conversation to help mental health services meet community needs. Initial engagement work in York and County Durham has led to a jointly produced a funding proposal to investigate mental health needs in the communities and how to meet them. A further proposal to explore effective approaches to suicide prevention is also being developed. Building on this engagement, and with additional financial support from the University of York, members of the communities are being supported to identify their own priorities for action to make sure these are available to inform ongoing research and service development.
