Employment support for Black people with long-term health conditions: a systematic narrative review of UK studies

Abstract

Background: Black people in the United Kingdom disproportionately acquire long-term health conditions and are marginalised from the labour market compared with other groups. These conditions interact and reinforce high rates of unemployment among Black people with long-term health conditions. Aims: To examine the efficacy, and experience, of employment support interventions in meeting the needs of Black service users in Britain. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted focusing on peer-reviewed literature featuring samples drawn from the United Kingdom. Results: The literature search revealed a paucity of articles that include analysis of Black people’s outcomes or experiences. Six articles met the selection criteria of the review, of which five focused on mental health impairments. No firm conclusions could be drawn from the systematic review; however, the evidence suggests that Black people are less likely than their White counterparts to secure competitive employment and that Individual Placement and Support (IPS) may be less effective for Black participants. Conclusions: We argue for a greater focus on ethnic differences in employment support outcomes with an emphasis on how such services may remediate racial differences in employment outcomes. We conclude by foregrounding how structural racism may explain the dearth of empirical evidence in this review.