Illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, and knowledge related to obsessive–compulsive disorder across different ethnic groups: a community survey

Lorena Fernández de la Cruz; Sarah  Kolvenbach; Pablo Vidal-Ribas Belil; Amita Jassi; Marta Llorens; Natasha Patel; John Weinman; Stephani L. Hatch; Dinesh Bhugra; David Mataix-Cols

doi:10.1007/s00127-015-1144-9

Illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, and knowledge related to obsessive–compulsive disorder across different ethnic groups: a community survey

Lorena Fernández de la Cruz^*, Sarah Kolvenbach, Pablo Vidal-Ribas Belil, Amita Jassi, Marta Llorens, Natasha Patel, John Weinman, Stephani L. Hatch, Dinesh Bhugra, David Mataix-Cols

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: Despite similar prevalence rates across ethnicities, ethnic minorities with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are under-represented in research and clinical settings. The reasons for this disproportion have been sparsely studied. We explored potential differences in illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, illness knowledge, and causal attributions that could help explain the lower uptake of treatment for OCD amongst ethnic minorities. Methods: Two-hundred and ninety-three parents (139 White British, 61 Black African, 46 Black Caribbean, and 47 Indian) were recruited from the general population in South-East London, UK. Using a text vignette methodology, participants completed a survey including questions on illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, OCD knowledge, and causal attributions. Results: The groups did not differ in socio-demographic characteristics and family history of OCD. White British parents perceived that the OCD difficulties would have more negative impact on their children and that treatment would be more helpful, compared to the ethnic minorities; the largest differences were observed between White British and Indian parents. Ethnic minorities were more prone to say that would seek help from their religious communities. Black African parents were more in favor of not seeking help for the described difficulties and, in general, perceived more treatment barriers. White British parents seemed to be better informed about OCD than ethnic minority parents. Conclusions: The results offer some plausible explanations for the large inequalities in access to services amongst ethnic minorities with OCD. Clinicians and policy-makers need to be aware of these socio-cultural factors when designing strategies to encourage help-seeking behaviors in these populations.

Original language	English
Number of pages	10
Journal	Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1144-9
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 24 Oct 2015

Keywords

Ethnic minorities
Health disparities
Help-seeking
Obsessive–compulsive disorder
Parental beliefs

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s00127-015-1144-9

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Fernández de la Cruz, L., Kolvenbach, S., Vidal-Ribas Belil, P., Jassi, A., Llorens, M., Patel, N., Weinman, J., Hatch, S. L., Bhugra, D., & Mataix-Cols, D. (Accepted/In press). Illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, and knowledge related to obsessive–compulsive disorder across different ethnic groups: a community survey. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1144-9

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title = "Illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, and knowledge related to obsessive–compulsive disorder across different ethnic groups: a community survey",

abstract = "Purpose: Despite similar prevalence rates across ethnicities, ethnic minorities with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are under-represented in research and clinical settings. The reasons for this disproportion have been sparsely studied. We explored potential differences in illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, illness knowledge, and causal attributions that could help explain the lower uptake of treatment for OCD amongst ethnic minorities. Methods: Two-hundred and ninety-three parents (139 White British, 61 Black African, 46 Black Caribbean, and 47 Indian) were recruited from the general population in South-East London, UK. Using a text vignette methodology, participants completed a survey including questions on illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, OCD knowledge, and causal attributions. Results: The groups did not differ in socio-demographic characteristics and family history of OCD. White British parents perceived that the OCD difficulties would have more negative impact on their children and that treatment would be more helpful, compared to the ethnic minorities; the largest differences were observed between White British and Indian parents. Ethnic minorities were more prone to say that would seek help from their religious communities. Black African parents were more in favor of not seeking help for the described difficulties and, in general, perceived more treatment barriers. White British parents seemed to be better informed about OCD than ethnic minority parents. Conclusions: The results offer some plausible explanations for the large inequalities in access to services amongst ethnic minorities with OCD. Clinicians and policy-makers need to be aware of these socio-cultural factors when designing strategies to encourage help-seeking behaviors in these populations.",

keywords = "Ethnic minorities, Health disparities, Help-seeking, Obsessive–compulsive disorder, Parental beliefs",

author = "{Fern{\'a}ndez de la Cruz}, Lorena and Sarah Kolvenbach and {Vidal-Ribas Belil}, Pablo and Amita Jassi and Marta Llorens and Natasha Patel and John Weinman and Hatch, {Stephani L.} and Dinesh Bhugra and David Mataix-Cols",

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doi = "10.1007/s00127-015-1144-9",

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Fernández de la Cruz, L, Kolvenbach, S, Vidal-Ribas Belil, P, Jassi, A, Llorens, M, Patel, N, Weinman, J , Hatch, SL , Bhugra, D & Mataix-Cols, D 2015, 'Illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, and knowledge related to obsessive–compulsive disorder across different ethnic groups: a community survey', Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1144-9

TY - JOUR

T1 - Illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, and knowledge related to obsessive–compulsive disorder across different ethnic groups

T2 - a community survey

AU - Fernández de la Cruz, Lorena

AU - Kolvenbach, Sarah

AU - Vidal-Ribas Belil, Pablo

AU - Jassi, Amita

AU - Llorens, Marta

AU - Patel, Natasha

AU - Weinman, John

AU - Hatch, Stephani L.

AU - Bhugra, Dinesh

AU - Mataix-Cols, David

PY - 2015/10/24

Y1 - 2015/10/24

N2 - Purpose: Despite similar prevalence rates across ethnicities, ethnic minorities with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are under-represented in research and clinical settings. The reasons for this disproportion have been sparsely studied. We explored potential differences in illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, illness knowledge, and causal attributions that could help explain the lower uptake of treatment for OCD amongst ethnic minorities. Methods: Two-hundred and ninety-three parents (139 White British, 61 Black African, 46 Black Caribbean, and 47 Indian) were recruited from the general population in South-East London, UK. Using a text vignette methodology, participants completed a survey including questions on illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, OCD knowledge, and causal attributions. Results: The groups did not differ in socio-demographic characteristics and family history of OCD. White British parents perceived that the OCD difficulties would have more negative impact on their children and that treatment would be more helpful, compared to the ethnic minorities; the largest differences were observed between White British and Indian parents. Ethnic minorities were more prone to say that would seek help from their religious communities. Black African parents were more in favor of not seeking help for the described difficulties and, in general, perceived more treatment barriers. White British parents seemed to be better informed about OCD than ethnic minority parents. Conclusions: The results offer some plausible explanations for the large inequalities in access to services amongst ethnic minorities with OCD. Clinicians and policy-makers need to be aware of these socio-cultural factors when designing strategies to encourage help-seeking behaviors in these populations.

AB - Purpose: Despite similar prevalence rates across ethnicities, ethnic minorities with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are under-represented in research and clinical settings. The reasons for this disproportion have been sparsely studied. We explored potential differences in illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, illness knowledge, and causal attributions that could help explain the lower uptake of treatment for OCD amongst ethnic minorities. Methods: Two-hundred and ninety-three parents (139 White British, 61 Black African, 46 Black Caribbean, and 47 Indian) were recruited from the general population in South-East London, UK. Using a text vignette methodology, participants completed a survey including questions on illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, OCD knowledge, and causal attributions. Results: The groups did not differ in socio-demographic characteristics and family history of OCD. White British parents perceived that the OCD difficulties would have more negative impact on their children and that treatment would be more helpful, compared to the ethnic minorities; the largest differences were observed between White British and Indian parents. Ethnic minorities were more prone to say that would seek help from their religious communities. Black African parents were more in favor of not seeking help for the described difficulties and, in general, perceived more treatment barriers. White British parents seemed to be better informed about OCD than ethnic minority parents. Conclusions: The results offer some plausible explanations for the large inequalities in access to services amongst ethnic minorities with OCD. Clinicians and policy-makers need to be aware of these socio-cultural factors when designing strategies to encourage help-seeking behaviors in these populations.

KW - Ethnic minorities

KW - Health disparities

KW - Help-seeking

KW - Obsessive–compulsive disorder

KW - Parental beliefs

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U2 - 10.1007/s00127-015-1144-9

DO - 10.1007/s00127-015-1144-9

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84945143675

SN - 0933-7954

JO - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

JF - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

ER -

Illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, and knowledge related to obsessive–compulsive disorder across different ethnic groups: a community survey

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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