Can art help us confront the health inequities faced by Europe's largest minority?

backgroundRoma and Traveller populations constitute the largest ethnic minority in Europe and face persistent and profound mental health inequities. Elevated levels of psychological distress, depression, and suicidality, as well as major barriers to accessing care, have been widely reported. Although structural determinants such as poverty, discrimination, and restricted access to healthcare are increasingly acknowledged, the role of social and symbolic representations in shaping mental health research and clinical practice remains insufficiently explored. MAIN BODY: In this commentary, we argue that artistic and cultural practices provide a valuable and underutilised lens for understanding and addressing mental health inequities affecting Roma communities. Through examples drawn from Roma visual arts, exhibitions, and literary traditions, we illustrate how art can challenge deficit-based narratives and reshape the emotional and symbolic frameworks through which Roma lives are perceived. These shifts in representation have implications for clinical encounters, trust in services, and recognition of mental health needs. Beyond public visibility, we propose that arts-based and narrative approaches can also function as methodological resources within mental health research. By foregrounding lived experience, meaning-making, and relational dimensions of health that are often overlooked by conventional quantitative approaches, these methods can support more inclusive and participatory forms of knowledge production. When developed in partnership with Roma communities, such approaches may reduce epistemic distance, challenge dominant research categories, and improve the cultural relevance of mental health interventions.

conclusionReducing mental health inequities among Roma and Traveller populations requires approaches that extend beyond documenting disparities. Integrating artistic and narrative perspectives into research design and dissemination may help transform representations, strengthen community engagement, and support more equitable and responsive mental health care.