The Roma people deal with a variety of difficulties on a daily basis. They are not given the chance to communicate about their problems, particularly those that relate to their mental health, and their general health and well-being are neglected. The intense prejudice and discrimination that the Roma people experience has undoubtedly a significant impact on their mental health. Therefore, have you ever heard anything about Roma’s mental health? False myths and stereotypes that inspire negative behavior toward the Roma population have been promoted by mainstream media. The destructive narratives have a negative impact on Roma people’s mental health.
The negative stereotyping of Roma populations in the media, politics, and society feeds into an atmosphere of prejudice and discrimination. Roma people’s mental health may suffer greatly from such ongoing exposure to negative narratives. Their mental well-being suffers as a result of the ongoing anxiety they experience about encountering prejudice, marginalization, and violence, which results in higher levels of stress, anxiety, sadness, and a sense of helplessness.
Discrimination and exclusion fueled by negative narratives not only harm mental well-being but also limit access to education, employment, and healthcare. People become more anxious and depressed as chances disappear as a result of systemic prejudices, continuing a destructive cycle that lasts for generations.
We must aggressively combat stereotypes and anti-Roma narratives in order to end this toxic cycle. Promoting uplifting narratives and eliminating prejudices requires the collaboration of the media, educators, and lawmakers. We can improve the outcomes for the Roma community’s mental health by encouraging empathy and understanding.
The connection between the anti-Roma narrative and its effects on mental health is a serious issue that has to be addressed right away. It is our duty to recognize those false narratives and foster a society where Roma people will be taken care of and they will have equal access to education, work opportunities and a healthcare system. Mental health care shouldn’t be a privilege for anyone!
More about AHEAD project:
AHEAD project aims to promote between youngsters non–discrimination and to combat racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance against Roma and other Ethnic minorities (mostly migrants). Partners jointly work on innovative good practice approaches, human rights-based narratives, training, official regular meetings, and European awareness raising campaigns. The project promotes inclusion, tolerance, mutual and multicultural understanding, and fight Roma, ethnic minorities, and migrants in Europe through an innovative approach that combines research, training (national and international) on antidiscrimination and on hate speech, round tables, seminars, the exchange of good practices, meetings between different representatives, stakeholders, CSOs, and youth associations, and a massive dissemination campaign.
The project aims to contribute to strengthening the capacity building of young victims (part of minorities) and the protection of youngsters belonging to minorities by supporting them in capacity building and structuring new mechanisms in public consultations in partner’s country (replicable all over Europe) on the issue of nondiscrimination and fighting every form of hate speech against ethnic minorities, Roma and migrants.
AHEAD’s aim is to tackle hate speech (also online) and to combat discriminations that target minorities in 5 areas of civil rights: education, labor, housing, health, goods and services, through specific training offered to 200 participants and through an new approach that combines quantitative research, public meetings with stakeholders, and awareness raising campaign. After providing expertise, building competences, advocating and raising awareness among youth people, partners will support the mobilization of young victims and will focus on Capacity building actions for youth, in order to involve Youngsters in decision making and into new structured automatic mechanisms to empower their active participation on hate speech and antidiscrimination.