Ethnic disparities in Mental Health Act detentions

Key statistics

• 52,731 detentions under the Mental Health Act were recorded in 2024–25, a 0.5% increase compared with 2023–24
• detention rates per 100,000 population (age and sex adjusted):
  • white: 65.8
  • Black/Black British: 262.4
  • Mixed: 187.5
  • Asian: 88.5
  • Other: 136.9
• Black people were four times as likely to be detained under the Act as white people
• 6,575 new Community Treatment Orders were made in 2024–25, up from 5,618 in 2023–24
• Community Treatment Order rates per 100,000: white 7.5; Black 61.3
• Black people were 8.5 times as likely to be placed on a Community Treatment Order as white people
• most detentions were under section 2 for assessment (37,012 cases).

Key messages

• racial disparities in detentions and Community Treatment Orders have widened compared with previous years
• white people were the only ethnic group to experience a fall in detention rates
• all other ethnic groups saw increases in detention rates
• concerns have been raised that the Mental Health Bill does not adequately address entrenched racial inequalities
• official statistics do not capture people waiting for admission or preventative work by approved mental health professionals.

Policy implications

• monitoring and action on racial disparities may need to be strengthened within Mental Health Act implementation
• better data on assessments, diversions and preventative work could support more equitable crisis responses
• expansion of early and community-based mental health support may reduce reliance on detention for racialised groups
• legislation may require clearer duties to address disproportionality.

Gaps

• lack of data on people waiting for admission to inpatient care
• limited visibility of preventative and diversionary work carried out by approved mental health professionals
• limited evidence on which policy or service changes reduce detention disparities.

Commentary
These figures show a clear and worsening inequity in how the Mental Health Act is applied across ethnic groups. Although overall detentions increased only slightly, Black people remain far more likely to be detained or placed on a Community Treatment Order than white people, indicating persistent disproportionality.

The data also highlight divergent trends. Detention rates fell for white people but increased for all other ethnic groups, widening existing gaps in experience and outcomes. This suggests that improvements in crisis care are not being experienced equitably.

Concerns raised about the Mental Health Bill point to a gap between principles and practice. While the Bill emphasises autonomy and least restriction, warnings that it lacks enforceable duties to address racial inequalities raise questions about its potential impact on long-standing disparities.

From a care equity perspective, the absence of data on waiting lists and preventative work limits understanding of the full system pressures shaping detention. Without recognising both unmet need and avoided detentions, policy and service responses risk overlooking opportunities to invest in culturally informed, community-based alternatives that could reduce inequitable use of compulsory powers.