Fifty years on from the UK’s first piece of legislation outlawing racial discrimination in employment, Stephen Ashe & James Nazroo look at what’s changed and whether racism in the workplace needs to be looked at in a different light. It has been shown repeatedly that reoccurring exposure to racism has serious negative long-term effects on people’s mental health. Over the past 12 months, Theresa May has warned public services there will be “nowhere to hide” if they treat people differently on the basis of their race. Yet the latest research suggests that the existing legislation isn’t doing enough to improve the situation. Is it time to start thinking about workplace racism, not just as an equality and diversity issue, but also as a serious matter of health and safety? Impact of racism in the workplace The Trade Union Congress’ (TUC) 2016-2017 Racism at Work survey is the latest piece of research to confirm that workplace racism has a considerable impact on people’s physical and mental health. This raises an important question: should workplace racism also be considered an issue of health and safety rather than just falling under the remit of equality and diversity? Of the 5,191 people who took the TUC’s survey, over half of those from an Asian, Black or Mixed heritage background reported that workplace racism had a negative impact on their mental health. At the same time, more than a quarter participants from an Asian, Black or Mixed heritage background reported that workplace racism had a negative impact on their physical health, while a similar number said that workplace racism had led to them taking sick leave. What is more, over one in ten non-white respondents reported that they had experienced racist violence at work. The multiple and cumulative effects of workplace racism are powerfully captured in the following statement provided by a TUC survey participants: I’ve had three workplaces where I’ve had to bring grievances that were race related (racist in nature)…You can never absolutely prove it…It’s insidious. The ignoring you is as bad as the shouting at you…I ended up on anti-depressants and suicidal. It makes you forget who you are, your strengths, your abilities. I’m a skilled intelligent woman who’s worked for 35 years and I ended up barely able to send an email. It’s like the perpetrators don’t realise. Leaves you powerless. I’m having to leave my job and take a 10k wage reduction for a short-term post instead of my permanent one. It’s either that or my life. My children/family have insisted. They want me alive. The findings from the TUC survey support our analysis of the 2015 Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work survey, which also found that workplace racism had a considerable impact on people’s emotional and psychological wellbeing. Some 24,457 people took part in the BITC survey, with more than 5,000 participants providing personal statements. When analysing these statements we similarly found that workplace racism had also resulted in a considerable number of people experiencing anxiety, stress and depression. Like the TUC survey, a significant number of BITC survey participants also reported being subjected to intimidation and racist violence at work. It is perhaps most worrying that many participants, across both surveys, reported that racism was a reoccurring part of their everyday working lives. This is particularly disturbing given that recent research by colleagues in the Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity has shown that repeated exposure to racism has serious negative long-term effects on people’s mental health. Existing legislative landscape Fifty years ago Harold Wilson’s Labour government amended the 1965 Race Relations in order to outlaw racial discrimination in employment for the first time. Some 33 years later, the 2001 Race Equality Duty placed the first ever legal obligation on public authorities to positively promote equality rather than simply avoiding discrimination. And yet, racism and racial inequality are still staple features of the British economy. According to the Health and Safety Executive, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 stipulate that ‘Employers must do whatever is ‘reasonably practicable’ to ensure ‘that workers and others are protected from anything that may cause harm, effectively controlling any risks to injury or health that could arise in the workplace’. As our colleague Tarani Chandola also recently argued, anti-discrimination statutes are ‘potentially’ implicated in cases related to work stress, notably the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Equality Act 2010. Following on from the PM’s Race Disparity Audit, the recent announcement that £90 million will be made available to address racial inequality in youth unemployment is welcome. At the same time, it is profoundly disappointing that Margot James, Minister for Small Business, Consumers & Corporate Responsibility responded to the recent McGregor-Smith Review by stating that We believe that in the first instance, the best method is a business-led, voluntary approach and not legislation as a way of bringing about lasting change… We therefore… will monitor progress and stand ready to act if sufficient progress is not delivered. In light of the fact that it is fifty years since the Race Relations Amendment Act was introduced, forty years since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and 17 years since the introduction of the first public sector Race Equality Duty, the TUC and BITC surveys provide further compelling evidence that the existing legislative arrangements have not delivered ‘sufficient progress’. The TUC and BITC surveys suggest that the time for joined up thinking and consequential action is now, particularly in terms of ensuring the implementation of existing legislation is effectively monitored and enforced, and that employers are held to account. The Health Safety Executive has already noted that employers have a ‘duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees‘. People have the right to go to work free from both the threat of racist violence and intimidation, as well as the impact racism has been proven to have on people’s physical and mental health. It is time to start thinking about workplace racism, not just as an equality and diversity issue, but also as a serious matter of health and safety. If you would like to share your experiences of workplace racism and the impact this has had on your physical and mental health, click here to take 2018 Race at Work survey. It takes around 13 minutes to complete the survey. All answers treated anonymously. Stephen Ashe leads the Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity’s Racism at Work Project. James Nazroo is Professor of Sociology and Director of Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity at The University of Manchester, researching inequalities in relation to later life, ethnicity and race, and health. Their report based on the 2016/2017 TUC Racism at Work Survey will be published later this month.
Teenage girls are twice as likely as boys to show depressive symptoms linked to social media use - mainly due to online harassment and disturbed sleep, as well as poor body image and lower self-esteem, researchers said on Friday.
Social media use by teenagers is associated with an increased prevalence of depression, low self-worth, and poor sleep, particularly in girls, say UK scientists.
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Researchers at University College London (UCL) found girls tend to spend more time on social media – and also experience worse psychological effects from doing so.
Though social media can be a helpful tool for teenagers to learn and connect with friends, experts have long warned that too much Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
Though social media could be a helpful software for youngsters to study and connect with associates, specialists have long warned that an excessive amount of Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
Though social media can be a helpful tool for teenagers to learn and connect with friends, experts have long warned that too much Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
Though social media can be a helpful tool for teenagers to learn and connect with friends, experts have long warned that too much Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram -- the list of popular social media outlets is long and always expanding. But could staying connected through them lead to depression?
According to a new study published in the journal EClinicalMedicine, the link between social media use and depressive symptoms in 14-year-olds may be much stronger for girls than boys. CNN reports: Among teens who use social media the most -- more than five hours a day -- the study showed a 50%...
Girls are twice as likely to show signs of depressive symptoms linked to social media use compared to boys at age 14, according to new research by ICLS Director Yvonne Kelly and colleagues. The paper, published today in The Lancet's EClinicalMedicine, is the first of its kind to look at associations between social media and depressive symptoms and analysed data from nearly 11,000 young people from the Millennium Cohort Study. The participants completed information on their social media use, online harassment, sleep patterns, self-esteem and body image – all of which are potential pathways to having depressive symptoms; additionally, they completed a Moods and Feelings Questionnaire – a widely validated internationally used screening (not diagnostic) tool for depressive symptoms. The questionnaire has 13 questions and asks young people about whether, in the previous two weeks, they have felt miserable, cried a lot thought they could not be as good as others, found it hard to think properly or concentrate (for example). The researchers found that 14-year-old girls were heavier users of social media with two fifths of them using it for more than three hours per day compared with one fifth of boys. Only 4% of girls reported not using social media compared to 10% of boys. The findings also showed that 12% of light social media users and 38% of heavy social media users (five or more hours a day) showed signs of having more severe (clinically relevant) depression. “The link between social media use and depressive symptoms was stronger for girls compared with boys. For girls, greater daily hours of social media use corresponded to a stepwise increase in depressive symptoms,’’ Yvonne Kelly explained. “For boys, higher depressive symptom scores were seen among those reporting three or more hours of daily social media use.” When the researchers examined the underlying processes that might be linked with social media use and depression they found 40% of girls and 25% of boys had experience of online harassment or cyberbullying and 40% of girls compared to 28% of boys said their sleep was often disrupted. When it came to body image, self-esteem and appearance - while more girls were affected, the gap with boys was not as great. They found the most important routes from social media use to depressive symptoms were shown to be via poor sleep and online harassment. Social media use was proportionately related to less sleep, taking more time to fall asleep and more disruptions during sleep. In turn, depressive symptom scores were higher for girls and boys experiencing poor sleep. Time spent on social media was related to involvement with online harassment which had direct and indirect associations (via sleep, poor body image and self-esteem) with depressive symptom scores. The pathways from social media to depressive symptoms were the same for girls and boys Professor Kelly added: “These findings are highly relevant to current policy development on guidelines for the safe use of social media and calls on industry to more tightly regulate hours of social media use for young people. Clinical, educational and family settings are all potential points of contact where young people could be encouraged and supported to reflect not only on their social media use, but also other aspects of their lives including on-line experiences and their sleep patterns. “At home, families may want to reflect on when and where it’s ok to be on social media and agree limits for time spent online. Curfews for use and the overnight removal of mobile devices from bedrooms might also be something to consider.” Shirley Cramer, Chief Executive, Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) commented: “This important new research confirms that we need to increase awareness and understanding amongst parents, schools and policy makers about the role of social media in our young people’s mental health, particularly taking into account the increased risks for girls.” The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
A new mobile phone will be in the pockets of many teenagers as they head back to school in the coming days.The period between Xmas and New Year will have been spent signing up for social media app…...
Girls are more than twice as likely than boys to show signs of depression linked to social media usage.The study Experts are urging parents to limit their children's phone use...
Heavy social media use linked to depression in young teens, new study shows NEWS 4 January 2019 Adolescents using social media for three hours or more a day are more likely to show signs of depression at age 14, compared to their peers who use it less often. Researchers from University College London (UCL) analysed information on nearly 11,000 young people born in the UK at the turn of the century who are taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study. At age 14, the teens were asked questions about their mental health, and were also asked to report on their social media use, experience of cyberbullying, sleep patterns, self-esteem and body image. The findings revealed that the link between excessive social media use and depression could be partly explained by the fact that teens who used it heavily were more likely to have disrupted sleep and tended to experience cyberbullying. Heavy social media use and cyberbullying also appeared to lower their self-esteem and satisfaction with their body image. Girls who were heavy users of social media tended to have greater depressive symptoms than boys. Girls who logged in for three to five hours a day experienced a 26 per cent increase in depressive symptoms while boys had a 21 per cent rise, compared to those who used social media for one to three hours a day. However, when the researchers took into account reports of cyberbullying, sleep patterns, self-esteem and body image these increased symptoms partly diminished. Once cyberbullying was considered, girls who were heavy social media users saw their depressive symptoms fall by 9 per cent, while boys’ symptoms fell by 5 per cent. After sleeping patterns were taken into account, girls’ symptoms dropped by 8 per cent and boys’ were reduced by 7 per cent. Once self-esteem was accounted for girls’ increased symptoms dropped by 6 per cent and boys’ by 3 per cent. And, when body image was considered, girls’ symptoms decreased by 9 per cent and boys’ by 4 per cent. The researchers found that 14-year-old girls were heavier users of social media, with more than two fifths (43%) of them using it for more than three hours per day compared with one fifth (21%) of boys. Two fifths (40%) of girls and a quarter (25%) of boys had reported cyberbullying and two fifths (40%) of girls compared to almost a third (28%) of boys said their sleep was often disrupted. Professor Yvonne Kelly, the lead author, explained: “These findings are highly relevant to current policy development on guidelines for the safe use of social media and calls on industry to more tightly regulate hours of social media use for young people. Clinical, educational and family settings are all potential points of contact where young people could be encouraged and supported to reflect not only on their social media use, but also other aspects of their lives including on-line experiences and their sleep patterns. “At home, families may want to reflect on when and where it’s ok to be on social media and agree limits for time spent online. Curfews for use and the overnight removal of mobile devices from bedrooms might also be something to consider.” Shirley Cramer, Chief Executive, Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) commented: “This important new research confirms that we need to increase awareness and understanding amongst parents, schools and policy makers about the role of social media in our young people’s mental health, particularly taking into account the increased risks for girls.” Further information The research was featured in national newspapers, including The Guardian and Daily Mail ‘Social media use and adolescent mental health: findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study’ by Kelly, Y, Zilanawala A, Booker C, Sacker A, is published in the EClinicalMedicine journal. Back to news listing
Category: Family Medicine | WebScout Back to Health News Health Highlights: Jan. 4, 2019 Last Updated: January 04, 2019. Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: Swedish Hospital Patient Might Have Ebola An unidentified hospital patient who recently returned to Sweden after three weeks in the East African country of Burundi is being checked for possible Ebola illness, local health authorities said. The patient was cared for at a hospital in Enkoping, about 50 miles from Stockholm, before being transferred to a hospital in Uppsala early on Friday, CNN reported. The patient is now in isolation, the wire service reported. Mikael Kohler, chief medical officer for the Uppsala region, said the patient visited "mostly urban areas in Burundi, where there isn't thought to be any active Ebola as far as we know." However, upon arrival at the hospital in Enkoping the patient displayed symptoms of Ebola infection, including vomiting blood, Kohler said. Test results are expected by 12 p.m. ET, he added. The emergency room where the patient was cared for has been closed, and any staff who had contact with the patient are being monitored, officials said. Ebola is caused by a virus and can cause fever, hemorrhaging and severe headaches. It is fatal in about half of cases. There's an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which borders Burundi, with case numbers topping 600 by Wednesday, CNN reported. The largest Ebola outbreak occurred in 2014 in West Africa and claimed more than 11,000 lives. In related news, Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha is currently monitoring an American who was potentially exposed to Ebola whole providing medical assistance in the Congo, CNN said. In a Dec. 29 statement, Dr. Ted Cieslak, an infectious disease specialist at the medical center, said "the person may have been exposed to the virus but is not ill and is not contagious." ----- Social Media Tied to Depression in Teens, Especially Girls Using social media for five hours or more per day is tied to a big jump in risk for depression among 14-year-olds, and especially for girls, a new British study shows. As compared to girls who spent just one to three hours daily on social media, girls who spent five or more hours on Snapchat, Instagram and the like had 50 percent higher odds for depressive symptoms, says a team from University College London. The number was somewhat less for boys -- a 35 percent hike in risk for boys who used social media five-plus hours per day. "We were quite surprised when we saw the figures and we saw those raw percentages: the fact that the magnitude of association was so much larger for girls than for boys," study author Yvonne Kelly, a professor of epidemiology and public health at the university, told CNN. The researchers stressed that the study couldn't prove that excessive social media use caused depressive symptoms, only that there was an association. Depressive symptoms included feelings of loneliness, unhappiness or restlessness. The researchers looked at data from a national study that included nearly 11,000 British 14-year-olds born between 2000 and 2002. The data showed that girls were typically on social media more than boys: about 43 percent of girls used social media three or more hours per day, compared to about 22 percent of boys. "For both girls and boys, the more social media they use, the more likely they are to have mental health problems, but not that many studies have been able to look for the explanations why," Kelly told CNN. "We looked at four potential explanations simultaneously, and this is the first paper to do that. We looked at sleeping habits; experiences online, so cyberbullying; how they thought about their bodies, or their body image, and whether they were happy with how they looked; and their self-esteem," she explained. "All of those four things -- the sleep, the cyberharassment, the body image or happiness with appearance, and the self-esteem -- they are all linked with the risk of having depression," Kelly said. She noted that girls tend to gravitate towards Instagram and Snapchat. Those platforms are "more based around physical appearance, taking photographs and commenting on those photographs," she said, so the stronger link between social media and depression in girls may have "to do with the nature of use." The findings were published Jan. 3 in EClinicalMedicine. Previous: Catching Up on News About Catch-Up Sleep Next: 1 in 10 Adults Have Food Allergies, But Twice as Many Think They Do Reader comments on this article are listed below. Review our comments policy. Submit your opinion: You must be logged in to post a comment. Please log-in. Not a member? Please register. Have you forgotten your password?
Though social media can be a helpful tool for teenagers to learn and connect with friends, experts have long warned that too much Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
Though social media can be a helpful tool for teenagers to learn and connect with friends, experts have long warned that too much Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
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