Psychosis, race and religion/faith - qualitative study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Racialised individuals with psychosis and their lived experiences of religion/faith (r/f): an interpretative phenomenological analysis
IRAS ID
340559
Contact name
Vicki Collin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 18 days
Research summary
The proposed study aims to explore religious/faith experiences amongst racialised* (UK racial minority, e.g., black, Asian) people with psychosis.
Psychosis often represents a time of great distress for many and provides a lens into their religious/faith (r/f) experiences. Racialised individuals have high rates of psychosis/schizophrenia diagnoses but also have a high likelihood of identifying with a r/f identity. Previous research has often explored relationships between r/f experiences and psychosis or racism and psychosis but this study aims to target a gap in the research by exploring lived experiences of all three intersectional identities in one study.
Participants eligible for the study will be invited to undertake a semi-structured interview which involves the researcher asking open questions to guide the interview whilst allowing space for participants to offer up their own information.
People with lived experience will be consulted during the development of the research and finalisation of the themes arisen from the data. This is important in ensuring an ethical process and ensuring that the voice of the expert is included for accuracy of themes and interview questions.
Recommendations have the potential to offer unique interpretations to multidisciplinary mental health contexts (i.e. services which have varying professionals such as psychologists, nurses, psychiatrists, care coordinators, occupational therapists etc.).
Inequalities inherent in healthcare and societal structures maintain unequal access to mental health care, for example, experiences of racism amongst racially minoritised people in the UK have been associated with higher rates of psychosis and schizophrenia (particularly in black communities) and more coercive (e.g., via police arrest) routes into mental health care. Therefore, this research will have implications for community and social justice approaches, as well as future research.
*The term racialised is preferred in this study to "black and minority ethnic" to indicate a process by where individuals have been marginalised due to their racial identity specifically.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/YH/0153
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jul 2024
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion