TITLE:
Exploring Adult Mental Health in Minority Ethnic Groups in the Royal Borough of Greenwich: Implications of Partnership Working
AUTHORS:
Andrea Valentine, Nadia Maddy, Adeniyi Adeboye, Fahad Algahtani, Aderonke Jegede
KEYWORDS:
Mental Health, Ethnicity, Partnership Working
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.7 No.9,
September
24,
2019
ABSTRACT: This study examines the perception of the relationship between mental
health and ethnicity and looks at partnership working within the adult mental
health services in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. To explore these issues,
semi-structured one-to-one interviews were conducted with gatekeepers.
Secondary data of 212 service users were also collected to further investigate
the relationship between ethnicity and mental health. Both qualitative and
quantitative methods were used to carry out this research. Findings from this
study revealed that people’s perceptions of the relationship between mental
health and ethnicity are often biased by society’s opinion or their own ethnic
heritage, and consequently these perceptions do not correspond with statistical
data. Further findings also reveal that providers would need additional
information/training to understand partnership working. Findings also highlight
the importance of psychoeducation of the wider public in order to reduce the
severity of mental health problems among minority ethnic groups, as it was
identified by the interviewed gatekeepers that cultural issues (mental health
is taboo and/or stigmatised) can hinder individuals from accessing the right services
at the right time. This is an explorative study; therefore, further rigorous
research approach is needed to establish association between mental health and
ethnicity.