SAFE PATHS Improving access and care for South Asians with psychosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
SAFE PATHS Improving access to and quality of care for South Asians who experience psychosis and their families: needs analysis and community engagement
IRAS ID
342143
Contact name
Laoise Renwick
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study involves exploring ways for people who experience psychosis and schizophrenia and their families would like to receive talking therapies. Talking therapies, such as such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBTp) and Family Interventions (FIp), can reduce symptoms and prevent further episodes which are detrimental to achieving recovery. Talking therapies for psychosis and schizophrenia are routinely provided in the NHS but people from South Asian backgrounds (which is the largest ethnic minority group in England) are referred for these treatments less frequently, many don’t accept this treatment when it is offered and some don’t stay in treatment when they do start. As a result, there is reason to believe there are aspects of how these interventions are delivered and the content of the interventions which are not acceptable and possibly not relevant to people from these cultures.
Our research will address these issues in the longer-term and this preparatory project focuses on creating essential pathways into research, destigmatising research involvement and adapting the content and delivery of interventions to better suit the needs of this group. Firstly, we will develop links with people from South Asian communities to encourage people into research reaching out to South Asian communities where they meet in a series of interactive awareness raising workshops. We will systematically gather published research to understand more about preferences and priorities for receiving interventions investigating how they can be embedded in practice more easily. At the same time, we will conduct qualitative interviews with key stakeholders (service-users, caregivers, healthcare professionals) and key informants (service managers, commissioners, regional leads) to get their views on ways to adapt the intervention and processes to enhance the acceptability, uptake and retention in talking therapies for psychosis. Our research takes place in early intervention services and community mental health teams in Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust and will take place over 18 months. Each participant that is recruited will be asked to attend for one meeting, either a community awareness workshop or an individual qualitative interview. Participants are eligible if they are over 18, experience psychosis or have cared for someone with psychosis. Healthcare professionals and key informants are those who work with these groups either directly or indirectly. Our research is funded by a Programme Development Award from the NIHR.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0031
Date of REC Opinion
11 Feb 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion