Experiences of FNDs: A Faith and Cultural Perspective
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences of Functional Neurological Disorders: A Faith and Cultural Perspective
IRAS ID
274798
Contact name
Aysha Baloch
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 0 days
Research summary
The current study aims to explore whether family/faith/culture play a role in the development and maintenance of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) in black and minority ethnic (BAME) cultural and faith-based groups.
FND is an umbrella term used to explain physical symptoms that resemble disorders of the nervous system e.g. non-epileptic seizures, without organic cause and often no physical explanation is found. Psychological distress has historically been the most common explanation for the development of FNDs and although there is evidence to support this view, individuals often respond negatively to a psychological explanation for their physical symptoms.
Research indicates that individuals and their families find the diagnosis of FND difficult to understand and the transition from a physical health setting to mental health services challenging. This transition may be even more confusing for individuals and families of individuals from minority backgrounds who often experience distress in terms of physical symptoms. Given the limited understanding of FND, it may be that individuals belonging to particular ethnic, cultural and faith groups do not access or benefit from mainstream FND services and treatments due to differing understandings of their condition. It may also be that the individual’s and their family’s wider held cultural and health beliefs may influence the nature of their condition.
To the researcher’s knowledge, there are no known studies exploring ethnic, cultural and faith-based experiences of having an FND. This study will provide an insight into the experiences of individuals from ethnic, cultural and faith-based backgrounds with FND. This understanding is significant as individual perceptions of difficulties has been shown to affect adjustment to the condition, acceptance of interventions and treatment outcomes.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/YH/0046
Date of REC Opinion
28 Apr 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion