African Families in the UK (AFIUK) and the PhD Research Project
Jamie Hanson,
PhD Candidate with School of Midwifery and Community Health, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)
This is a funded project by East Suffolk North Essex Foundation Trust to explore the views of Black African Women in the perinatal period and access to mental health services. On reviewing the literature, it is apparent that there are barriers to women discussing and accessing mental health services e.g., stigma in the African community and expectation of being a ‘strong Black Woman’. The MBRRACE Maternal Report which is produced triennially states that Black and Brown Women are 3-4 times more likely to experience maternal mortality and morbidity in the antenatal and postnatal period. Three quarters of maternal deaths are attributed to suicide in Black and Brown Women. On reviewing the local population and performing a scoping exercise it was felt that Black African Women required further research into why they were not accessing services and what they felt needed to be in place to support their mental health.
In conjunction with AFiUK and the Community Ambassadors in Colchester the following research question was developed:
How do Black African Women experience current Perinatal Mental Health Provision in the United Kingdom, and the barriers and facilitators to acceptability of support from health professionals in accessing services?
Research Aims:
- Exploring and Describing attitudes to Perinatal Mental Health.
- Listening to the Women’s Voices.
- Understanding the service and how it can be improved.
The data was collected through focus groups and semi-structured interviews, with Community Ambassadors acting as gatekeepers. These Ambassadors facilitated discussions and played a key role in recruiting women to participate in the project. Following the focus group and interviews held at AFiUK Colchester, the preliminary findings are as follows: