Exploring the experiences of Black Men through the decision-making process in secure settings: A qualitative study

Paper 1 is a systematic literature review which aimed to explain the ethnic inequalities in compulsory admissions within the UK. 11 studies were included and narrative synthesis was used to explore the reasons for compulsory admission amongst Black Minority and Ethnic (BME) Groups Whilst themes highlighted that the majority of individuals from BME groups are referred through the criminal justice system, the reasons for compulsory admission to mental health hospitals amongst BME groups continues to be limited. The review emphasised the need for in-depth qualitative research to provide first-hand lived experiences of BME service users that are missed or excluded from research surrounding compulsory detention for Serious Mental Illness.

Paper 2 is an empirical research study which aimed to expand upon the research of Salla & Danso (2018) and Urquía & Salla (2019) through exploring Black men’s experiences of decision-making processes within forensic inpatient settings and their perceptions of these services. The study used a qualitative idiographic approach and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to examine and understand personal lived experiences. Findings highlighted Black men’s lack of involvement in decisions around their care due to professionals not effectively communicating decisions during key aspects of their care. Future research is needed to explore professional and service user perspectives around compliance and the impact of family involvement in the treatment of Black males in secure settings.

Paper 3 is an executive summary which provides an overview of the empirical paper that is written in a way that is accessible for service users included within the study and to be distributed to the public. The executive summary was completed with an Expert by Experience and participant who took part in the study to check for readability and to follow through with service user involvement and co-production.