A new study led by Researchers at UCL finds that some groups of people with ethnic minority backgrounds are only half as likely to receive early psychological interventions for a first psychotic episode.
The project involved a review of data from 29,610 people with first-episode psychosis who were in contact with Early Intervention in Psychosis services in England from the National Clinical Audit of Psychosis, commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership and the interventions they received.
Findings published in Psychiatry Research found that across all ethnic groups, only 47% of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis in the study received Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) and only 21% received family intervention.
The study was led by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Mental Health Policy Research Unit at UCL.
Professor Sonia Johnson (UCL Psychiatry), Director of the Mental Health Policy Research Unit, said:
“Despite a national service model intended to ensure all are offered effective treatment, many people are still missing out on much-needed early treatment for psychosis.
“Mental health care providers need to be aware of such disparities between ethnic groups and be culturally sensitive. More research is also needed, ideally involving service users themselves, to better understand the complex reasons behind such disparities and the best ways to address them, including making sure that treatments are helpful and relevant across the whole population.”
Please read more information on the study in the original article on UCL News: Ethnic minority groups less likely to receive early psychosis treatments
The research paper has been published in Volume 330 of Psychiatry Research: Ethnic differences in receipt of psychological interventions in Early Intervention in Psychosis services in England – a cross-sectional study
Image: Umit Bulut