Provision of psychological interventions for ethnic minorities in East Lancashire care early intervention service

Background: A significant difference has been reported in the access to psychological services in different ethnic groups, with this being due to a multitude of factors such as employment, family support and general practitioner involvement. Recommendations by NICE provide guidelines on the treatment and management of schizophrenia in adults, which should ensure that health professionals offer psychological interventions to patients and that there is equality in the access to psychological interventions across different ethnic groups. Method: An audit of referral practices within an Early Intervention Service was carried out which included all current patients within the service, totalling 297 patients. Data was collected on religion, ethnicity and whether or not a patient had been referred for psychological intervention as part of their management. Data on the number of patients with incomplete or insufficient histories was also collected. Results: A total of 27.7% (n = 54) of White patients received a referral for psychological interventions compared to just 13.4% (n = 9) of Asian patients. Inadequate history taking means assessment of suitability isn't made and our results show discrepancies across ethnic groups with 32% of insufficient histories being taken from Asian patients compared to only 13% of Whites. Discussion: The results are consistent with a report by the Department of Health in 2007 which found that Black and Minority Ethnic group patients received less referrals for psychological interventions in comparison to their White counterparts. We need to explore any barriers in communication between mental healthcare professionals and this group of patients.