Episode 3 - “If I don’t speak for myself, who will?” Youth Voices on Racism, Identity and Mental Health

🗣️ About this Episode (full transcription below)
In this episode, young people share how experiences of racism, microaggressions, and cultural isolation shape their mental health. They describe the pain of not being seen or heard within school systems and mental health services, and the burden of having to constantly explain or justify their identity.

The conversation explores how racism intersects with other factors like class, gender, and immigration status, creating unique barriers to accessing support. The youth also speak about their acts of resistance and the importance of safe, culturally grounded spaces where they can speak freely, without fear of judgement or dismissal.

Hi, I’m Clara from the Casal de Joves de Roquetes. In this new podcast episode, we talk about mental health from the perspective of racialised young people. We believe this is an urgent and necessary conversation.

To start things off, I’d like to ask:
How does structural and systemic discrimination impact the mental health of racialised or racially marginalised people?

I’m also part of the Casal de Roquetes in Barcelona, and I’ll be exploring a couple more key questions:

• What barriers do ethnically diverse communities face when accessing mental health services?

• How do cultural stigmas around mental health affect the willingness to seek help in different ethnic groups?

We believe these questions can open up a powerful discussion.

Personally, I think structural discrimination adds a heavy burden to those already struggling with mental health. Racism is still very present in many aspects of life, like finding housing or jobs. When someone is already dealing with personal challenges, all of this makes things much harder. While I don’t speak from direct experience, I recognise that racism makes life a lot more complicated for those who experience it — and I want to raise awareness of that, knowing I speak from a position of privilege.

From Manchester, Chim shares her thoughts:

“Systemic discrimination damages the mental health of marginalised people. We’re often seen as more aggressive or hysterical than white Europeans, and medication is usually the only solution offered. I’m currently reducing my dose of diazepam because I don’t want to be dependent. I do need to keep taking my ADHD meds, but just to function daily. Marginalised people are often over-medicated. We should be focusing more on occupational therapy and other forms of support instead of defaulting to prescriptions — especially for racialised people.”

Zainab from the Mindset Revolution group adds:

“The barriers aren’t just cultural — they’re also geographic and economic. Manchester is ethnically diverse, but deeply unequal. In some areas, access to quality mental health services is really limited. There’s also a lot of stigma. People feel guilty asking for help or have had bad experiences that stop them from going back. For me, the biggest barriers have been economic and geographic. Long waiting lists make it almost impossible to get an appointment in time.”

Another young person from Barcelona reflects:

“I’m not from a racialised background myself, but in our neighbourhood there’s a lot of immigration. Many people come here to survive and support their families, and that already affects their mental health. People aren’t aware of how hard it is to arrive in a new country without speaking the language or knowing how to navigate things. That alone can impact your wellbeing.”

“These individuals are judged for their ethnicity, and that damages their relationships and mental health. Many don’t recognise symptoms of anxiety or depression, and even fewer have the words or tools to talk about it. Without papers, it’s even harder — even though mental health services are public and free, they’re not always accessible to undocumented people.”

Another participant continues the reflection:

“Based on my friends’ experiences, there’s a strong sense of isolation — like they can’t ask for help outside their own communities. That’s heartbreaking. They already face enough challenges. Like Teresa said, these things can lead to more serious issues like anxiety or depression, which are made worse by external obstacles.”

“Racism is an oppressive system that you can’t control. It doesn’t depend on you, and it makes you feel alone — even among others going through the same thing. So the real question is: how can we fight this, especially from our positions of privilege?”

In summary:
Racism clearly has a negative impact on mental health. I wish I could do more to change things, even though I know it’s not just up to me. But I can ask our friends in Manchester what they think — and learn from their experiences.

One participant concludes:

“Thank you to Clara — I really appreciated what you shared. It’s hard to make change alone, but I believe in collective organising. Maybe not always within the government system, but from the ground up, we can do a lot. If we focus on social wellbeing, especially for children and young people, and support community-based projects, we can start closing these gaps.”

“Providing wellbeing sessions — outside of clinical frameworks — is a powerful way to address mental health without relying entirely on medical systems.”

To end, one last reflection:

“I agree with everything that’s been said. Beyond racism, socioeconomic power plays a massive role. If you have money, it’s easier to access mental health services. If not, it becomes much harder.”

“Racism is part of the problem — but it’s not the only one. In this capitalist system, everything depends on your ‘merit’ or ability to pay. That makes the situation much more complex than just stigma or discrimination.”