Secondary analysis of data from the Community Health Networks study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Social networks of Black people diagnosed with severe mental illness: A secondary data analysis of data from the Community Health Networks study
IRAS ID
159112
Contact name
Amy Degnan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Research summary
African Caribbeans have the highest rates of psychosis, most difficult relationships with mental health services and greatest inequalities in access, experience and outcomes than any other ethnic group in the UK (Bhui et al., 2003a). Recent theories suggest that the fragmented structure of social networks and social isolation (within families and the community) contribute to higher incidence of psychosis and inferior outcomes (e.g. Bhugra & Bhui, 2001; Pinto, Ashworth, & Jones, 2008). Following the onset of psychosis, the social networks of African Caribbean people are likely to be more vulnerable to deterioration as a consequence of family burden and relationship breakdown associated with untreated illness, negative and coercive care pathways (often with families involved in calling the police), high rates of relapse and readmission, and lengthy stays in hospital (Bhui et al., 2003b; Keating, Robertson, McCulloch, & Francis, 2002; The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 2006).
This study will be a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a Health Service and Delivery Research (HS&DR) National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) study conducted by the McPin Foundation, which involved analysing the social networks of 150 people with serious mental illness (SMI) living in UK communities. The original study collected two types of data relating to social networks: 1) quantitative network data at baseline to map social network connections; and 2) qualitative follow-up interviews to reflect on the network mapping content and process. The proposed study will be a secondary analysis of a subset of this quantitative and qualitative data from the original sample. The main aim is to explore whether there is anything distinctive about the social networks of Black people (African Caribbean, Black African, Black mixed, Black ‘other’) with SMI when compared to White British people with SMI. This was not examined in the original study.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SC/1232
Date of REC Opinion
22 Aug 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion