Kular Ariana, Tuomainen Helena, Majid Madiha, Singh Swaran Preet
Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
BMJ Open. 2025 Jul 16;15(7):e088168. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-088168.
Psychotic disorders are more prevalent among minority ethnic groups in the UK. However, there is no research on how the British Sikh community understands and seeks help for psychosis. The way in which a community understands the nature, causes and treatment of psychosis can impact their duration of untreated psychosis, treatment pathways, experience and engagement with mental health services, and outcomes.
To explore the lay understandings of psychosis and associated help-seeking within the Sikh community in England, and how family, religion and culture influence these perspectives DESIGN AND SETTING: An exploratory qualitative design, consisting of online semistructured interviews across the UK.
30 participants, 11 men and 19 women, ages ranged from 19 to 69, who identified as Sikh.
Thematic analysis revealed several common themes, including a lack of awareness and knowledge of psychosis, variety of causal beliefs held about psychosis, professional help-seeking being encouraged, religious practices regarded as helpful coping mechanisms, supernatural beliefs influencing alternative help-seeking, strong negative perceptions towards psychosis and general mental illness, the significant role of family and community, and conflicting religious and cultural beliefs.
Participants showed limited understanding of psychosis and mental illnesses, accompanied by widespread negative perceptions, potentially delaying help-seeking. Increasing awareness may prompt earlier help-seeking, enhancing outcomes and diminishing stigma.
在英国，精神病性障碍在少数族裔群体中更为普遍。然而，尚无关于英国锡克教社区如何理解精神病并寻求帮助的研究。一个社区对精神病的性质、病因和治疗的理解方式会影响其未治疗精神病的持续时间、治疗途径、与心理健康服务的接触体验以及治疗结果。
探讨英格兰锡克教社区对精神病的通俗理解及相关的求助行为，以及家庭、宗教和文化如何影响这些观点。设计与背景：一项探索性定性研究，通过在英国各地进行在线半结构化访谈展开。
30名参与者，11名男性和19名女性，年龄在19岁至69岁之间，均自认为是锡克教徒。
主题分析揭示了几个共同主题，包括对精神病缺乏认识和了解、对精神病存在多种因果信念、鼓励寻求专业帮助、宗教活动被视为有益的应对机制、超自然信念影响寻求其他帮助的行为、对精神病和一般精神疾病存在强烈的负面看法、家庭和社区的重要作用以及宗教和文化信念相互冲突。
参与者对精神病和精神疾病的理解有限，同时普遍存在负面看法，这可能会延迟求助行为。提高认识可能会促使更早地寻求帮助，改善治疗结果并减少污名化。
