Owen Sara, Khalil Elizabeth
Faculty of Health, Life and Social Sciences, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, UK.
Int J Nurs Stud. 2007 Mar;44(3):467-78. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2006.08.024. Epub 2006 Oct 16.
Discriminated against and marginalised groups of people within our communities continue to be over represented within mental health services and frequently their particular needs are not met. Challenging discrimination and working towards more equitable services are a vital part of anyone's role working within mental health services. This paper provides a review of guidance documents on diversity issues with a particular focus on ethnicity, gender, sexuality, learning disability, spirituality, homelessness and age. The review concludes with a summary of the range of approaches that are currently being advocated for translating guidelines and recommendations into improved and equitable mental health services that meet the needs of service users from a wide range of diverse groups.
