Cultural experiences of help seeking in psychosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the experiences of help and support seeking for people of Black African and Caribbean heritage experiencing long term psychosis.
IRAS ID
325637
Contact name
Christabella Van Laarhoven
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Univeristy of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Black African and Caribbean people living in the UK have a high incidence of psychosis and this is substantially higher when compared to their White counterparts (Bard, Degnan, Berry & Edge, 2021). Although it has been reported that there are cultural differences between Black Caribbean and Black African minorities (for example, experiences of migration) both have high rates of psychosis in clinical studies, in comparison to people from a White background (Qassem et al.,2015). Studies have shown that Black people are reported to have more negative experiences in mental health services including higher rates of involuntary admissions, coercive care and readmission to hospital, compared to other ethnic groups (Barnett et al., 2019; Morgan et al., 2017). In addition, there are barriers that Black African and Caribbean people encounter when accessing support for psychosis, such as stigma of mental health discrimination and their cultural identity ( Memon et al., 2016).
Within the current literature, there are many studies focusing on help and support seeking in the early stages of psychosis (e.g Tanskanen, et al., 2011). However, there is a lack of studies exploring the experiences of people with long term psychosis and how they may seek support or manage their symptoms. It is vital to gain further insight into how people from a Black background diagnosed with schizophrenia can be supported longer term, especially as medical approaches are often prioritised in practice over other psychological interventions (Spandler & Calton, 2009).
Using semi structured interviews, this study will focus on exploring how Black African and Caribbean people experiencing long term psychosis (for example, experiences of psychosis for more than 3 years) seek help and support within the UK healthcare services, community settings but also socially and culturally.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0716
Date of REC Opinion
3 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion