This working paper says that mental health services have been slower to address inequalities than other health sectors and that this is exacerbating the problem of mental illness in the capital. As a result, services are less likely to be accessible to women from black and minority ethnic groups. The paper found that services were particularly inaccessible to refugees and asylum seekers, which is compounded by the fact that staff are insufficiently equipped to assess the specific needs of these groups. Furthermore, staff are often not aware of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers to health and social care services which influences how they respond to calls for help from these communities. [SMD]