Hello everyone, I’m Matthew McKenzie, and in this blog I want to raise awareness about the various forms of discrimination and bias that unpaid carers, especially those looking after individuals suffering from mental illness or cancer, might encounter. Moreover, I am deeply involved in addressing racism and discrimination, sharing my firsthand knowledge of these issues, particularly in the mental health system.

In this article, we’ll dive into some of the crucial terminology that are essential for anyone working within healthcare settings, caring for people from minority groups, or even interacting as patients themselves.

In this blog, I’ll focus primarily on the acute settings within general hospitals. Most of these terms and definitions, however, are broadly applicable across the entire mental health system. We will go over around 12 to 13 key terms, highlighting their relevance and providing examples to illustrate how they manifest in healthcare contexts.

You can also watch the video lecture off my YouTube Channel.

Discrimination

Discrimination in healthcare involves treating individuals unfairly based on their race, ethnicity, or other characteristics. This unfair treatment leads to poor health outcomes for those affected.