Discrimination and psychosis among ethnic minorities in the UK
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Ethnic mental health inequalities: A qualitative study to understand if discrimination causes psychosis among people from ethnic minority backgrounds
IRAS ID
342437
Contact name
Jason McIntyre
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool John Moores University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
Psychosis causes enormous individual suffering and imposes a significant economic burden, affecting 3% of the population at some stage in life. The associated financial costs of psychosis total more than £29.1 billion per year in the UK alone, with £11.8 billion directly attributed to NHS costs.
Ethnic minority groups in the UK are at higher risk of experiencing psychosis. For example, people from African-Caribbean backgrounds have a seven times higher risk of being diagnosed with psychosis, while people from Black African and Asian backgrounds have four and three times higher risks, respectively, compared to people from white British backgrounds. Evidence suggests that psychotic symptoms in ethnic minority populations may stem from exposure to discrimination and marginalisation. However, research on discrimination and psychosis in ethnic minority populations is sparse.
This study aims to understand the links between discrimination and psychosis among ethnic minorities in the UK. Qualitative interviews will be conducted to explore whether the content of ethnic minority individuals’ psychotic thoughts is related to discrimination and if discrimination is linked to symptom onset. About 24-30 patients from ethnic minority backgrounds with a diagnosis of psychosis (eight to ten from each ethnic background: Asian, African-Caribbean, and Black) who are above the age of 18 will be eligible to take part in this qualitative study. Patients will be recruited through the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) and Mersey Care Trusts (MCT).
Face-to-face interviews will be conducted (45 minutes) at university premises. Those who cannot physically attend will be given the option to participate in interviews online via MS Teams.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0739
Date of REC Opinion
25 Oct 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion