Exploring perspectives on how to improve psychological treatment for women from minoritised ethnic communities: qualitative study with psychological therapists.

Abstract

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.