Abstract
Objective: Young Black people in the UK face disproportionate mental health inequalities driven by stigma, racism, and structural exclusion. Although mental health literacy can promote early recognition and help-seeking, most interventions do not reflect Black communities’ lived realities. This study used Participatory Action Research (PAR) to co-produce a peer-led community mental health literacy training package with young Black people, alongside an e-learning resource to support culturally responsive practice among mental health and allied professionals.Method: Eight young Black participants (M age = 24.5; five female) with lived experience of mental ill health from diverse cultural, religious, and gender backgrounds took part in four peer-led workshops and three refinement sessions. Guided by an anti-oppressive framework, participants identified priorities, developed content, and shaped the training. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results: Four interconnected themes emerged: (1) Navigating Cultural Silences and Systemic Exclusions (stigma, cultural taboos, intergenerational trauma, and racialised experiences in education and healthcare); (2) Fighting to Be Heard (dismissal, misrecognition, and delayed care); (3) Reimagining Care Through Cultural Proximity and Community Anchoring (relational, culturally grounded, community-based models); and (4) Embedding Accountability and Cultural Reflexivity in Training (youth-led recommendations for train-the-trainer programmes emphasising structural competency, experiential learning, and supervision).Conclusions: Co-production elevated young Black people’s expertise and produced a culturally responsive training package grounded in lived experience and structural realities. The findings highlight the need for preventative, relational, and equity-focused mental health approaches and support community-led, culturally grounded interventions to reduce disparities among Black and racialised youth.