scholarly journals Migrant mothers' experiences of perinatal mental ill health in the UK and their expectations of healthcare

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-38
Author(s):  
Ranjana Das ◽  
Daniel Beszlag
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
The Uk

A large body of research has found that mothers from ethnic minority groups are at high risk of maternal mental health difficulties. This article presents a study of women from ethnic minority and migrant groups in the UK who experienced mental health difficulties in order to investigate obstacles they met in communicating their challenges with health professionals. Thirty qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed. The findings show that mental health is often a taboo in ethnic minority communities, and that a lack of stimulus and ability to communicate their struggles is one of the main drivers of mental ill-health. Support groups and social media create promising opportunities for combating the issue at hand, but social services, medication, NHS understaffing and insufficient attention paid to mothers by health professionals are the main obstacles met by participants in sourcing support. Research is concluded with recommendations regarding the findings.

scholarly journals Community-centred interventions for improving public mental health among adults from ethnic minority populations in the UK: a scoping review

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e041102
Author(s):  
Cleo Baskin ◽  
Geiske Zijlstra ◽  
Mike McGrath ◽  
Caroline Lee ◽  
Fiona Helen Duncan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Minority Populations ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
Ethnic Minority Populations ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Intervention Description

ObjectivesUndertake a scoping review to determine the effectiveness of community-centred interventions designed to improve the mental health and well-being of adults from ethnic minority groups in the UK.MethodsWe searched six electronic academic databases for studies published between January 1990 and September 2019: Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus, CINAHL and Cochrane. For intervention description and data extraction we used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist and Template for Intervention Description and Replication guide. Quality was assessed using Cochrane risk of bias tools. Grey literature results were deemed beyond the scope of this review due to the large number of interventions and lack of available outcomes data.ResultsOf 4501 studies, 7 met the eligibility criteria of UK-based community interventions targeting mental health in adults from ethnic minority populations: four randomised controlled trials, one pre/post-pilot study, one cross-sectional study and one ethnographic study. Interventions included therapy-style sessions, peer-support groups, educational materials, gym access and a family services programme. Common components included a focus on tackling social isolation, using lay health workers from within the community, signposting and overcoming structural barriers to access. Four studies reported a statistically significant positive effect on mental health outcomes and six were appraised as having a high risk of bias. Study populations were ethnically heterogeneous and targeted people mainly from South Asia. No studies examined interventions targeting men.ConclusionsThere is a paucity of high-quality evidence regarding community-centred interventions focused on improving public mental health among ethnic minority groups. Decision makers need scientific evidence to inform effective approaches to mitigating health disparities. Our next steps are to map promising community activities and interventions that are currently being provided to help identify emerging evidence.

scholarly journals Experiences of how services supporting women with perinatal mental health difficulties work with their families: a qualitative study in England

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e030208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Billie Lever Taylor ◽  
Jo Billings ◽  
Nicola Morant ◽  
Debra Bick ◽  
Sonia Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Perinatal Mental Health ◽  
Health Access ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Mental Health Access

ObjectivesPartners and wider family members play a vital role in relation to women’s perinatal mental health. Clinical guidelines in the UK and internationally recommend that services supporting women with perinatal mental health difficulties involve and support their families too. However, little is known about family members’ needs and experiences, or whether they feel included by mental health services. This study set out to explore this.MethodsThis research formed part of a wider study exploring experiences of perinatal mental health care in England. The broader study included semi-structured interviews with 52 women across England who received treatment for a perinatal mental health difficulty, and 32 family members identified by the women as offering them some support. Data from these 84 interviews relating to how services work with partners and families were extracted and analysed thematically.ResultsAnalysis identified three overarching themes: (1) the centrality of women’s families to their perinatal mental health/access to support, (2) experiences of partners and families being excluded by services and (3) ambivalence among women and their families about increasing family involvement/support. We found that partners and families appear to have an important influence on women’s perinatal mental health, access to care and interactions with services, but that services tend to focus on individual women (and babies) with little regard for their wider family context. The complexity of involving and supporting partners and families, coupled with anxiety about this among women and their families, reinforces the tendency to marginalise them.ConclusionInvolving women’s families and providing the support they need is challenging, but important. Experiences of women and their families of services treating perinatal mental health difficulties suggests greater focus is needed on overcoming barriers to family inclusion and on challenging underlying gender roles and expectations, rather than allowing these to shape and guide practice.

scholarly journals “Data makes the story come to life.” Understanding the ethical and legal implications of Big Data research involving ethnic minority healthcare workers: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward S. Dove ◽  
Ruby Reed-Berendt ◽  
Manish Pareek
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Significant Implication ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Uk

The aim of UK-REACH (“The United Kingdom Research study into Ethnicity And COVID-19 outcomes in Healthcare workers”) is to understand if, how, and why healthcare workers (HCWs) in the UK from ethnic minority groups are at increased risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19. In this article, we present findings from Work Package 3, the ethico-legal stream, which undertook qualitative research seeking to understand and address legal, ethical, and social acceptability issues around data protection, privacy, and information governance associated with the linkage of HCWs’ registration data and healthcare data. We interviewed 22 key opinion leaders in healthcare and health research from across the UK in two-to-one semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were manually coded using qualitative thematic analysis. Participants told us that a significant implication across all stages of Big Data research in public health are drivers of mistrust – of the research itself, research staff and funders, and broader concerns of mistrust within participant communities, particularly in the context of COVID-19 and those situated in more marginalised community settings. However, despite the challenges, participants also identified ways in which legally compliant and ethically informed approaches to research can be crafted to mitigate or overcome mistrust and establish confidence in Big Data public health research. Overall, our research indicates that a “Big Data Ethics by Design” approach can help assure 1) that meaningful engagement is taking place and that extant challenges are addressed, and 2) that any new challenges or hitherto unknown unknowns can be rapidly and properly considered to ensure potential (but material) harms are identified and minimised where necessary. Our findings indicate such an approach, in turn, will help drive better scientific breakthroughs that translate into medical innovations and effective public health interventions, which benefit the publics studied.

scholarly journals ‘It’s possibly made us feel a little more alienated’: How people from ethnic minority communities conceptualise COVID-19 and its influence on engagement with testing

2022 ◽  
pp. 135581962110549
Author(s):  
Tushna Vandrevala ◽  
Lailah Alidu ◽  
Jane Hendy ◽  
Shuja Shafi ◽  
Aftab Ala
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Asian Ethnicity ◽  
Black African ◽  
South Asian Ethnicity ◽  
The Uk

Objectives The cultural beliefs, practices and experiences of ethnic minority groups, alongside structural inequalities and the political economy play a critical, but overlooked role in health promotion. This study aimed to understand how ethnic minority groups in the United Kingdom conceptualised COVID-19 and how this influenced engagement in testing. Method Black (African and Caribbean) and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) community members were purposefully recruited from across the UK. Fifty-seven semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using principles of grounded theory. Results We found that people of Black and South Asian ethnicity conceptualised COVID-19 as a disease that makes them visible to others outside their community and was seen as having more severe risk and suffering worse consequences, resulting in fear, stigmatisation and alienation. Views about COVID-19 were embedded in cultural beliefs, relating to culturally specific ideas around disease, such as ill-health being God’s will. Challenges brought about by the pandemic were conceptualised as one of many struggles, with the saliency of the virus contextualised against life experiences. These themes and others influenced engagement with COVID-19 testing. Testing was less about accessing timely and effective treatment for themselves and more about acting to protect the family and community. Testing symbolised a loss of income, anxiety and isolation, accentuated by issues of mistrust of the system and not being valued, or being treated unfairly. Conclusion Health communications should focus on counterbalancing the mistrust, alienation and stigmatisation that act as barriers to testing, with trust built using local credible sources.

scholarly journals Mental Health in Ethnic Minority Populations in the UK: Developmental Trajectories from Early Childhood to Mid Adolescence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simran Bains ◽  
Leslie Morrison Gutman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Minority Children ◽  
Ethnic Minority Children ◽  
The Uk

AbstractA large body of literature has demonstrated that there are developmental differences in mental health problems. However, less is known about the development of mental health problems in ethnic minority children, particularly at the population level. Using a detailed ethnic classification and nationally representative data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (n = 18, 521, 49% female, 18% ethnic minority), this study examines ethnic differences in children’s mental health problems and trajectories of mental health from ages 3 to 14 years. Growth curve modeling revealed that ethnic minority children followed different developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems than white children, either in terms of the mean-level and/or rate of change across age. These differences were not explained by child sex, socioeconomic status, maternal depressive symptoms, and maternal immigrant status, highlighting the need for further research exploring the factors that underpin ethnic inequalities in child mental health.

Intersectionality, mental health and Chinese people in the UK: a qualitative exploration

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn Tang ◽  
David Pilgrim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Ethnic Minority Group ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide qualitative evidence from the experience of Chinese service users in the UK to expand the literature on the use of intersectionality analysis in research on the mental health of ethnic minority groups. Design/methodology/approach Repeated in-depth life-history interviews were carried out with 22 participants. Interviews were analysed using the constant comparative method. Findings Four areas of life are identified for their possible negative impact on mental health for this minority group: labour market and work conditions, marriage and family, education, and ageing. The findings illustrate how these intersecting variables may shape the social conditions this ethnic minority group face. For this ethnic minority group in the UK, inequalities can intersect at national as well as transnational level. Originality/value This paper highlights how power relations and structural inequalities including class, gender, age and ethnicity could be drawn upon to understand the interplay of determinants of mental health for ethnic minority groups. As the multi-factorial social forces are closely related to the emergence of poor mental health, it is suggested that interventions to reduce mental health problems in ethnic minority communities should be multi-level and not limited to individualised service responses.

scholarly journals It's possibly made us feel a little more alienated: How people from ethnic minority communities conceptualise COVID-19 and its influence on engagement with testing.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tushna F Vandrevala ◽  
Lailah Alidu ◽  
Jane Hendy ◽  
Shuja Shafi ◽  
Aftab Ala
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
South Asians ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
The Family ◽  
Testing Uptake ◽  
The Will ◽  
The Uk

Objectives:The cultural beliefs, practices and experiences of ethnic minority groups, alongside structural inequalities and the political economy play a critical, but overlooked role in health promotion. The current study aims to address this deficit, understanding how these groups conceptualise COVID–19, and how this influences engagement in testing, with the future aim of developing targeted communications to address the challenges of testing uptake. Method:Black (African and Caribbean) and South (Asian Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) community members were purposefully recruited across the UK. Fifty seven semi–structured interviews were conducted and analysed using principles of Grounded Theory. Results:The findings illustrate that Black and South Asians conceptualise COVID–19 as a disease that makes them visible to others outside their community, in having more severe risk and suffering worst consequences, resulting in fear, stigmatisation and alienation. Views about COVID-19 were embedded in cultural beliefs, relating to culturally specific ideas around disease, such as ill-health being the will of God. Challenges brought about by the pandemic were conceptualised as one of many struggles, with the saliency of the virus contextualised against life experiences. These themes and others influenced engagement with COVID–19 testing. Testing was less about accessing timely and effective treatment for themselves, and more about acting to protect the family and community. Testing symbolised a loss of income, anxiety and isolation, accentuated by issues of mistrust of the system, and not being valued, or being treated unfairly. Conclusion:In tackling these challenges, we conclude that health communications should focus on counterbalancing the mistrust, alienation and stigmatisation that act as barriers to testing, with trust built using local credible sources.

Asking the Hard Questions: Psychologists’ Discomfort With Inquiring About Sexual Abuse Histories

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122110145
Author(s):  
Belinda Nixon ◽  
Elly Quinlan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Early Career Psychologists ◽  
University Training

The literature on sexual abuse indicates low rates of inquiry by mental health professionals. This study explores early career psychologists’ experiences of inquiry into their clients’ sexual abuse histories. Twelve Australian psychologists participated in semi-structured interviews with transcripts analyzed using thematic analysis. The vast majority of participants reported that they did not routinely inquire about sexual abuse with barriers including not knowing what to do, discomfort, stigma, and fear of negative outcomes. Participants asserted that their university training in sexual abuse inquiry was inadequate. Findings emphasize the need for the development of an evidence-based framework for sexual abuse training.

The transition between mental health services in Scotland

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliette van der Kamp
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Organisational Development ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Experience Difficulty

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the barriers and facilitators to an effective transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). It also presents a new entry into considering how the transition can be improved. Design/methodology/approach Insights into the transition from CAMHS to AMHS were gathered through eight semi-structured interviews with mental health professionals. Two methods of data analysis were employed to explore the emerging themes in the data and the observed deficit approach to organisational development. Findings The findings identified a vast volume of barriers in comparison to facilitators to the transition. Adolescents who transition from CAMHS to AMHS initially experience difficulty adapting to the differences in the services due to the short duration of the transition period. However, despite the established barriers to the transition, adolescents tend to adapt to the differences between the services. Findings also showed a negative framing towards the transition amongst the mental health professionals which resembles a deficit approach to organisational development. Originality/value This paper explores mental health professionals’ perspectives regarding the transition in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The transition is increasingly recognised as an area in health care that requires improvement. This research provides a new way to consider the transition by exploring the perceived deficit approach to organisational development in the services.

scholarly journals Ethnic Minority Groups’ Experiences of Suicide Bereavement: A Qualitative Exploratory Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 11860
Author(s):  
Pauline Rivart ◽  
Verity Wainwright ◽  
Sandra Flynn ◽  
Isabelle M. Hunt ◽  
Jenny Shaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Mental Health Awareness ◽  
Suicide Bereavement ◽  
The Uk

It is estimated that between 36,000 and 360,000 people are affected by suicide every year in the UK, and a proportion may develop depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, or engage in high-risk behaviours. Recent systematic analyses have revealed a clear gap in research on suicide bereavement in minority ethnic groups. This study aimed to understand the experiences and support needs of individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds bereaved by suicide and was the first in the UK to investigate this matter. The study was a secondary analysis of data. Participants were 7158 people residing in the UK who completed an online survey about their experiences of suicide. Free-text qualitative responses of 227 participants who did not identify as White British were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: maladaptive coping strategies, emotional processes following suicide, lack of support from agencies, and the importance of mental health awareness. Ethnic minority groups reported a lack of support despite attempts to engage with services, noted the prevalence of stigma within ethnic minority groups, and expressed a need to tackle this. These preliminary results suggest that ethnic minority individuals require visible and accessible services that can successfully engage with and support them.

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