Jake Bowers’ brother, Danny Bowers, took his own life in 2017. Sharing his personal testimony and the devastating loss by suicide of his brother Danny, he met other community members whose relatives have also taken their own lives. Jake went on to produce a series of three short films to highlight the “scandalous” rate of people who take their own lives amongst Britain’s 600,000 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community. This three-part film series allows the bereaved to tell their loved one’s stories, whilst remaining anonymous.
“The worst thing we can do is privately be in pain but publicly full of pride.”
-Jake Bowers (Romani journalist and Film Producer)
With as many as 11% of community members dying from suicide, the personal and candid testimonies contained highlight desperate health inequalities. There were 6,069 suicides registered in England and Wales (11.4 deaths per 100,000 people) in 2023 according to the Office for National Statistics. The suicide rate within this community is estimated to be up to seven times higher than all other communities. This is in addition to a shorter life expectancy of up to 10 years less in comparison to the national population average.
In 2022, the Observatory partnered with the University of Worcester to explore how mental health services are engaging with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities across the UK. Subsequently, a comprehensive report ‘Inequalities in Mental Health Care for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Communities: Identifying Best Practice’ was published in September 2023.
To illustrate the 2023 report findings, Romani journalist and film producer, Jake Bowers, travelled from Kent to Cumbria during the summer of 2024 and explored the cost of poor mental health within his community.
“There’s an epidemic in the Gypsy and Traveller community that’s only known by the families who are suffering in silence. Our lives are being cut short by a mental health crisis that too often results in suicide. It’s scandalous. If this was any other community there would be an outcry and people would be doing more.”
The director of the films, Prof Habib Naqvi, said: “Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities face barriers in accessing digital services, securing employment, and have limited access to local healthcare services. We hope these films can provide local government, charities and NHS services with useful insights to enable co-design and delivery of more focused and targeted mental health support.”
We are proud to partner with organisations like Friends, Families and Travellers, who work to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller people, and protect their right to a nomadic way of life. In partnership with them, we support individuals and families facing mental health challenges while addressing the root causes of inequality. Find out more about what they do and how you can access support here.
As reproduced from : NHS Race & Health Observatory and BBC News: Short films reveal travellers’ suicide risks
Featured image still from Reaching for the Rope part two
