Racially Minoritised Men's Experience of Cultural Safety in Therapy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Exploration of Cultural Safety in Therapy Experienced by Racially Minoritised Men in Forensic Services
IRAS ID
357572
Contact name
Elizabeth Bailey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Surrey
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
Historically, people from minoritised populations have been disadvantaged in healthcare, having experienced barriers to accessing psychological services and are known to have worse outcomes in therapy compared to White people. There are longstanding systemic issues that may explain the existing inequality between racial groups, such as institutionalised racism and widespread discrimination in the UK. Whilst there has been a national effort to upskill clinicians in their cultural competence, increasing staff awareness of culture and diversity has not proven to improve outcomes for patients significantly, as health inequity remains a problem. Cultural safety, a framework developed in the 1990s in New Zealand to address health disparities experienced by indigenous Māori peoples, empowers individuals to define safety (emotional and psychological) in a way that fits with the individuals own values and beliefs, as opposed to safety defined by the clinician or wider systems. It advocates for a healthcare system that prioritises staff reflection on bias (which may impact patient care) and respects an individual’s understanding of their health through a cultural lens, which for many may conflict with the dominant culture. Whilst this term is relatively new to the UK, there is growing literature advocating for it’s inclusion into healthcare however little is known about cultural safety in therapy. As forensic services are over-representative of racially minoritised service users, cultural safety becomes more significant in this context. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore cultural safety in therapy. Semi-structured interviews will be completed with 6-10 racially minoritised participants who will share their experience of therapy at Broadmoor Hospital.
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/LO/0091
Date of REC Opinion
9 Apr 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion