Abstract
The common mental disorders, predominantly anxiety and depression, constitute a significant public health problem and are associated with significant morbidity. When detected, these disorders are managed almost exclusively in primary care. Research into common mental disorders and ethnicity to date raises important questions about the understanding, nature and course of common mental disorders, access to services and the perceived value of consulting for emotional problems across cultural groups. It also emphasizes the complex interactions between ethnicity, socioeconomic status, social inclusion, age and sex. Ethnicity is thus one of several important explanatory variables. Much has been written about the development of culturally sensitive services and the development of core competencies for culturally aware psychiatrists. Further work is needed to achieve services that are informed by users’ views.