Time to listen: A systematic literature review of accounts of racism of clinical psychology in the UK

For almost 20 years, there have been clear and precise accounts of racism in clinical psychology in the UK. These have been largely ignored, dismissed, or brushed under the carpet (Patel, 2023). This paper describes a systematic literature review of the accounts of racism in UK clinical psychology. A systematic search of the literature was carried out in databases of psychological literature and sources of grey literature (for DClinPsy theses and text-based articles). Following screening for eligibility, 17 studies were included in this review, the majority of which were written about Clinical Psychology training. Data was extracted then synthesised using thematic synthesis. Key themes were: racism and microaggressions; White(ness) is central; ‘difference’ is the elephant in the room; White people are not equipped to talk about racism. Recommendations were: increase diversity; decolonise curriculums and de-centre Whiteness; training for White trainees; support for racially minoritised trainees. Implications for training practice, policy, and future research are discussed.