ABSTRACT

Background

Black African and Caribbean people in the UK have the highest rates of diagnosis with Psychosis. Compared with other ethnic groups, their contact with mental health services is characterised by inferior access, care experiences, and outcomes. Previous research suggests that beliefs about mental health problems may influence emotional responses, coping behaviours and outcomes in psychosis.

Method

The study examined the causal attributions and illness perceptions of 51 Black African and Caribbean people with non-affective psychosis and their associations with psychosis symptoms, using the Positive and Negative Syndrome S and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire.

Results

Black service users with non-affective psychosis most frequently attributed mental health problems to psychosocial factors, though spiritual, biological and substance abuse explanations were also provided. Endorsing a psychosocial explanation for psychosis was associated with less severe negative symptoms. More negative or threatening illness perceptions were correlated with greater negative, general and overall symptom severity in psychosis.

Conclusions

Psychological formulations and interventions for Black people experiencing psychosis should consider personalised beliefs about their mental health problems as this may facilitate improvements in symptoms. Further longitudinal research is warranted in larger samples to examine psychological causal mechanisms linking illness beliefs and psychosis outcomes.

中文翻译：

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探索非情感性精神病的非洲黑人和加勒比人的疾病信念与精神病症状之间的关系

摘要

背景

英国的非洲黑人和加勒比海地区的精神病诊断率最高。与其他族裔相比，他们接触精神卫生服务的机会、护理体验和结果较差。先前的研究表明，对心理健康问题的看法可能会影响精神病的情绪反应、应对行为和结果。

方法

该研究使用阳性和阴性综合征 S 和简要疾病认知问卷调查了 51 名非洲和加勒比黑人非情感性精神病患者的因果归因和疾病认知及其与精神病症状的关联。

结果

患有非情感性精神病的黑人服务使用者最常将心理健康问题归因于心理社会因素，尽管也提供了精神、生物学和药物滥用的解释。支持精神病的社会心理解释与较轻的阴性症状有关。更多的消极或威胁的疾病认知与精神病中更大的消极、一般和整体症状严重程度相关。

结论

针对患有精神病的黑人的心理表述和干预措施应考虑对其心理健康问题的个性化信念，因为这可能有助于改善症状。需要在更大的样本中进行进一步的纵向研究，以检查将疾病信念和精神病结果联系起来的心理因果机制。