Download 13 Social Sciences Cross-Cultural Validity of Psychological

13 Social Sciences
Cross-Cultural Validity of Psychological Interventions.
Aims: This PhD project aims to investigate the cross-cultural validity of psychological
interventions employed by the NHS– specifically Improving Access to Psychological
Therapies (IAPT) services within these locations.
Rationale: Although mental health professionals (including psychiatrists, psychologists and
therapists) are trained to take into consideration individual characteristics such as age, gender,
education, personality and mental health symptoms. However research conducted in Western
cultures suggests ethnic minority groups engage with treatment differently in comparison to
their white counterparts, mainly due to their religious beliefs, culture and beliefs about mental
health (Bernal and Saez-Santiago, 2006; Kim, Zane and Blozis, 2012). Therefore it is
important that mental health professionals consider the role of religion and cultural background
when treating individuals from certain ethnic backgrounds (Chowdhary et al, 2014).
The aim is to look at the number of individuals from ethnic minority groups who access
psychological services on a regular basis (i.e. weekly/fortnightly) who suffer from a mental
health disorder and are under the care of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)
clinical services. IAPT services were commissioned in 2007 focussing on providing cognitive
behaviour therapy (CBT) to treat depression and anxiety related disorders (Clark, 2011).
Referrals into IAPT are made mainly through GPs while some IAPT services also accept selfreferrals. The majority of cases of individuals suffering depression and anxiety and those who
want to receive psychological therapy are referred into IAPT services. Therefore it has been
chosen as the preferred NHS service for this PhD project.
Methods: The work will be undertaken in a series of phases:
Phase 1 – Perform a literature review and meta-analysis to set the context and identify key
themes. Audit secondary data - this will be done by looking at client records, looking at who
was referred to the IAPT practitioner and how many therapy sessions the client completed,
clinical outcomes and completion rates.
Phase 2 – Semi-structured qualitative interviews with clinicians and mental health service
users.
Phase 3 – Create a manual that advises on good practice guidelines for clinicians in
engaging individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds to psychological therapies.
The PhD Studentship is funded by Birmingham City University
The candidate: First degree in BSc Psychology with a 2:1 or above. The project would be
suitable for individuals with interests in culture, mental health disorders and psychological
interventions. Someone who has experience of working with mental health populations or in
NHS mental health services would be desirable. The student will be supported to obtaining
the PG Cert in L&T.