Narratives of Black Men Accessing MH services through CJS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Qualitative Study Exploring the Narratives of Black Men Accessing Mental Health Services through Criminal Justice Systems
IRAS ID
335796
Contact name
Shaquilla Linton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research & Innovation Services
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 26 days
Research summary
Research Summary
Black men have been negatively viewed by society for a long time. Black men are more likely to have contact with the police as a teenager and are more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act compared to their white peers. Additionally, many black men who are accessing Mental Health Services (MHS) are doing so through Criminal Justice Systems (CJS), which usually involve the police. Incidents like this, tend to be based on negative stereotypical and judgemental views towards black men. Unfortunately, black men are rarely given the opportunity to share what their experiences are like when they are under these systems. This study aims to explore black men’s experiences of accessing MHS through CJS to understand how black men have been treated by criminal justice and healthcare services and whether improvements in service provision is necessary. To carry out the study, 10-12 black men will be interviewed and asked to share their views on how they experienced life in the CJS and then transitioning to MHS. The goal is to capture as many experiences as possible and the responses from the interviews will be analysed using a narrative inquiry approach. This study will be completed by a Trainee Clinical Psychologist on the Clinical Psychology Doctorate Course at the University of East Anglia (UEA). Once the project is completed, the outcomes will be written up and published, so that the findings are available to the public. The hope after publication is for the outcomes to contribute to the production of MHS development and training across local NHS trusts to support black men whose treatment pathway is directly from the CJS.Summary of Results
This research was carried out by Shaquilla Linton, Bonnie Teague and Sheri Oduola and was sponsored by the University of East Anglia. There were no conflicts of interest whilst completing the study. The study received support from a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group, which helped with the study design method. The data for the study were collected between April 2024 and January 2025. The research was carried out because Black men are at risk of accessing mental health support through harsh pathways like the Criminal Justice System (CJS), and there was limited evidence to understand what their experiences were like going through these service pathways. The research team was interested in asking three questions:1. What were the Black men’s experiences of accessing mental health support through the CJS?
2. How did the Black men make sense of their relationship with staff through this care pathway?
3. Were there any unmet care needs the Black men experienced, and what could have been done to make things better?In total, six Black men participated in the study, and they each completed a semi-structured interview remotely online. The results from the study suggest that early life difficulties may lead to poor mental health, and without early help from health services, it may increase the need for involvement from the CJS. However, experiences in the CJS were reported as racially discriminatory and harmful. Once the participants received support from Mental Health Services (MHS), they viewed this as a good experience. Although some participants found some areas where their care needs were not always met. Overall, the participants valued the mental health support they received because it increased their awareness of their well-being. However, not all the participants experienced this, and some continued to struggle with their mental health. The findings highlight the need for staff working in the CJS and MHS to increase their understanding of possible psychosocial risk factors that Black men are more vulnerable to encountering and learning how to adopt a therapeutic and unbiased approach to care. It would be important for future research to understand whether earlier support in the Black male population would help prevent poor pathways into care. The summary of the findings will be shared with the study participants, and the study is also being prepared for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
REC name
Wales REC 4
REC reference
24/WA/0064
Date of REC Opinion
12 Apr 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion