ABSTRACT
There is a large body of evidence suggesting that maternal depression and social adversity have a negative impact on the quality of the mother-infant relationship (Murray and Cooper, 1977). It has also been suggested that children from poor communities are especially vulnerable because high levels of deprivation are associated with increased psychological distress (Stafford and Marmot, 2003), and parents are more likely to be experiencing both economic strain and depression (Harpham, 1994). This chapter describes work with parents from black and minority ethnic groups in one of the most deprived parts of the UK, the London borough of Tower Hamlets. Almost 50 per cent of the local population belong to an ethnic group other than White British, and at least ninety different languages are spoken within the borough. A third of the population are Bangladeshi and 7 per cent come from African/Caribbean backgrounds. The Bangladeshi population in east London is the largest in the world outside of Bangladesh. Despite major structural changes and economic development over the last few decades, this borough remains one of the most deprived areas in the country; there are high rates of unemployment, and major problems with overcrowding and poor quality housing.
