Experiences of detention for adults from a BME background V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences of adults from a Black Minority Ethnic (BME) background who have been detained as inpatients under the Mental Health Act (1983)
IRAS ID
246612
Contact name
Jay Solanki
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Essex
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Not Applicable, Not Applicable
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
The proposed research aims to explore the experiences of adults from a Black Minority Ethnic (BME) background who have been detained as inpatients under the Mental Health Act (1983). Official statistics report that more people from a BME background are detained than any other ethnic group (NHS Digital) and this has led to a debate about racism and the Mental Health Act (Singh and Burns, 2006; McKenzie and Bhui, 2007). It has also motivated an independent government review of the Mental Health Act (Department of Health and Social Care, 2017). Academic research to date has mostly focused on a statistical understanding of ethnicity and detention, describing additional statistical factors such as diagnosis (e.g. Singh et al., 2017). However, at the centre of these debates are vulnerable people with mental health problems who are detained against their will. It is crucial to understand their experiences of detention.
Up to fifteen adults who have been detained as inpatients under the Mental Health Act (1983) will be invited to participate in an interview to discuss their experiences. The interview has been developed through previous research and will be discussed with service users and other key stakeholders. People will be recruited through advertisements and discussions with staff on inpatient wards of an NHS Trust. Interviews are expected to last up to one hour and will be audio-recorded and transcribed. Thematic Analysis (TA; Braun and Clarke, 2006) will be used to identify and interpret themes across the interviews. Research findings are expected to be shared with academic journals, health services and participants who consent.
This research is being undertaken as part of the Chief Investigator's Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
19/SS/0068
Date of REC Opinion
6 May 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion