Exploring perspectives on how to improve psychological treatment for women from minoritised ethnic communities: qualitative study with psychological therapists
Background Women from minoritised ethnic communities experience inequalities in access, experience and outcomes of psychological therapy. Understanding the factors associated with these inequalities could inform improvements to mental health services. Aims To explore therapists’ experiences of p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-05-01
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| Series: | BJPsych Open |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425000365/type/journal_article |
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| author | Laura-Louise Arundell Rob Saunders Phoebe Barnett Judy Leibowitz Joshua E. J. Buckman Felicity Woodcock Stephen Pilling |
| author_facet | Laura-Louise Arundell Rob Saunders Phoebe Barnett Judy Leibowitz Joshua E. J. Buckman Felicity Woodcock Stephen Pilling |
| author_sort | Laura-Louise Arundell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Background
Women from minoritised ethnic communities experience inequalities in access, experience and outcomes of psychological therapy. Understanding the factors associated with these inequalities could inform improvements to mental health services.
Aims
To explore therapists’ experiences of providing treatment to women from minoritised ethnic communities, including insights on adaptations made at the delivery, content and wider organisation levels, and to gather suggestions about potential treatment improvements.
Method
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 therapists working in two National Health Service Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression services and who had experience of treating women from minoritised ethnic communities. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results
Three high-order themes were identified: incorporating ethnicity and culture in the delivery of psychological therapies, challenges associated with delivering therapeutic interventions to women from minoritised ethnic groups and improvements to services that could support better access, engagement and outcomes for women from minoritised ethnic groups.
Conclusions
Findings indicate that therapists viewed cultural adaptation and cultural sensitivity as important to the delivery of appropriate care for minoritised ethnic women. Challenges to appropriate care included limited service resources, communication and language barriers, stigma and existing access and engagement inequalities. Therapists suggested that, to deliver high-quality care and optimise outcomes, improvements are required in cultural sensitivity training, flexibility of service delivery, outreach work with communities to encourage uptake and reduce stigma, support for staff and workforce diversity.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b4c8bae9146843f6a3366c11d4974d6a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2056-4724 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJPsych Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-b4c8bae9146843f6a3366c11d4974d6a2025-08-20T02:24:43ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Open2056-47242025-05-011110.1192/bjo.2025.36Exploring perspectives on how to improve psychological treatment for women from minoritised ethnic communities: qualitative study with psychological therapistsLaura-Louise Arundell0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2325-7752Rob Saunders1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7077-8729Phoebe Barnett2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6521-3101Judy Leibowitz3Joshua E. J. Buckman4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2281-0907Felicity Woodcock5Stephen Pilling6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7361-8202CORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UKCORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UKCORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UKiCope – Camden and Islington Psychological Therapies Services, Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UKCORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK iCope – Camden and Islington Psychological Therapies Services, Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UKSurrey and Borders NHS Foundation Trust, London, UKCORE Data Lab, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UK iCope – Camden and Islington Psychological Therapies Services, Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK Background Women from minoritised ethnic communities experience inequalities in access, experience and outcomes of psychological therapy. Understanding the factors associated with these inequalities could inform improvements to mental health services. Aims To explore therapists’ experiences of providing treatment to women from minoritised ethnic communities, including insights on adaptations made at the delivery, content and wider organisation levels, and to gather suggestions about potential treatment improvements. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 therapists working in two National Health Service Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression services and who had experience of treating women from minoritised ethnic communities. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Three high-order themes were identified: incorporating ethnicity and culture in the delivery of psychological therapies, challenges associated with delivering therapeutic interventions to women from minoritised ethnic groups and improvements to services that could support better access, engagement and outcomes for women from minoritised ethnic groups. Conclusions Findings indicate that therapists viewed cultural adaptation and cultural sensitivity as important to the delivery of appropriate care for minoritised ethnic women. Challenges to appropriate care included limited service resources, communication and language barriers, stigma and existing access and engagement inequalities. Therapists suggested that, to deliver high-quality care and optimise outcomes, improvements are required in cultural sensitivity training, flexibility of service delivery, outreach work with communities to encourage uptake and reduce stigma, support for staff and workforce diversity. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425000365/type/journal_articleMental healthqualitative researchpsychological therapiescultural adaptationwomen |
| spellingShingle | Laura-Louise Arundell Rob Saunders Phoebe Barnett Judy Leibowitz Joshua E. J. Buckman Felicity Woodcock Stephen Pilling Exploring perspectives on how to improve psychological treatment for women from minoritised ethnic communities: qualitative study with psychological therapists BJPsych Open Mental health qualitative research psychological therapies cultural adaptation women |
| title | Exploring perspectives on how to improve psychological treatment for women from minoritised ethnic communities: qualitative study with psychological therapists |
| title_full | Exploring perspectives on how to improve psychological treatment for women from minoritised ethnic communities: qualitative study with psychological therapists |
| title_fullStr | Exploring perspectives on how to improve psychological treatment for women from minoritised ethnic communities: qualitative study with psychological therapists |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring perspectives on how to improve psychological treatment for women from minoritised ethnic communities: qualitative study with psychological therapists |
| title_short | Exploring perspectives on how to improve psychological treatment for women from minoritised ethnic communities: qualitative study with psychological therapists |
| title_sort | exploring perspectives on how to improve psychological treatment for women from minoritised ethnic communities qualitative study with psychological therapists |
| topic | Mental health qualitative research psychological therapies cultural adaptation women |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425000365/type/journal_article |
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