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

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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.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank all the parents that kindly participated in our study as well as the following gatekeepers for their invaluable help during the recruitment process: Lewisham Library; Forest Hill Library; Clapham Library; Deptford Library; Brixton Central Library; South Lambeth Library; Carnegie Library; Minet Library; Streatham Library; Durning Library; Tooting Library; Upper Norwood Library; Crofton Park Community Library Service; Ivydale Primary School; St. James The Great Primary School; Children’s Playroom at Peckham Rye; Tunstall Children’s Centre; Fegans Child and Family Care, St. Stephen’s Church; Stay and Play Group, St. Paul’s Church; Family Action Newpin; Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre; Brixton Recreation Centre; Community Engagement Division, Housing, and Community Services at Southwark Council; IoPPN Café Dinner employees; Alison Henry, Therapist at 104 Harley Street; Abdul Wuraola, Performance Director and Head Coach at Dulwich Table Tennis Club; and Sunil Chopra, from the Hindu Community Centre in Southwark.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Gävlegatan 22 (Entré b), Floor 8, 11330, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lorena Fernández de la Cruz & David Mataix-Cols

  2. Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK

    Lorena Fernández de la Cruz, Sarah Kolvenbach, Pablo Vidal-Ribas, Amita Jassi, Marta Llorens, Stephani L. Hatch, Dinesh Bhugra & David Mataix-Cols

  3. National and Specialist OCD Clinic for Young People, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Amita Jassi, Natasha Patel & David Mataix-Cols

  4. Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, UK

    John Weinman

Authors
  1. Lorena Fernández de la Cruz
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  2. Sarah Kolvenbach
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  3. Pablo Vidal-Ribas
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  4. Amita Jassi
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  5. Marta Llorens
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  6. Natasha Patel
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  7. John Weinman
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  8. Stephani L. Hatch
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  9. Dinesh Bhugra
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  10. David Mataix-Cols
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lorena Fernández de la Cruz.

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Ethical standards

The authors assert that all procedures contributing to this work comply with the ethical standards of the relevant national and institutional committees on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008.

Funding

The authors acknowledge financial support from the South London and Maudsley Charitable Funds (Grant Number 2012/604). Mr. Pablo Vidal-Ribas was supported by a fellowship from the Alicia Koplowitz Foundation. Dr. Stephani L. Hatch receives salary support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health.

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Fernández de la Cruz, L., Kolvenbach, S., Vidal-Ribas, P. et al. Illness perception, help-seeking attitudes, and knowledge related to obsessive–compulsive disorder across different ethnic groups: a community survey. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 51, 455–464 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1144-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1144-9

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