Project overview
ARIADNE was a 12-month study addressing the impact of the pandemic on access to, and experiences of, mental healthcare among people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.
The project used the EBCD (Experience Based Co-Design) method in four NHS Trusts. This involved interviews with key stakeholders – service users, carers and practitioners – about their current challenges and potential ideas for change.
There were also focus groups with key stakeholders to refine recommendations and agree local, site-specific action points. We also ran a workshop in each site and one national event hoping to create implementation plans to address inequalities.
The project, which completed in September 2022, was funded by the NIHR policy research programme under ‘Recovery, Renewal, Reset – Research to inform policy responses to COVID-19’ and involved NHS Trusts in Manchester, Sheffield, Coventry and East London.
Project details
The pandemic has widened inequalities in society, with people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities disproportionately experiencing the negative impact of Covid-19.
In mental health there was already a problem of inequalities in access and experience of mental healthcare.
This research supported other programmes of work in the four sites to co-develop action plans to address racism and inequalities in mental healthcare and contribute to learning and change.
We were a partner in the project and worked with Steve Gilbert OBE to lead PPI (patient and public involvement) in research activities.
This included forming an eight-person LEAP (Lived Experience Advisory Panel) who worked with the team to influence and shape the project. This included co-facilitating the final national event.
We also employed three part-time peer researchers to work on the study under the leadership of Dr Domenico Giacco from the University of Warwick. They each worked for part of the study duration.
Thank you to everyone who supported this piece of work, including the LEAP members and peer researchers in the team.
For more information about the project please email [email protected].
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We are always excited to hear from others who want to collaborate on mental health research. From delivering peer research to helping you with public involvement strategies and providing training, get in touch to chat.
