Minority voices: Research into the access and acceptability of ... - MMC

often available for assessing patients who present in emergency situations as a factor affectingthe identification of needs. 84Ethnicity is not the only factor affecting diagnosis of a mental health problem by clinicians.Secondary analysis of the British General Health Survey 91-94 revealed that there were nosignificant differences in the use of health services by children and young people of differentethnic groups. 85 Recognition of psychiatric disorders by GPs has generally failed to take intoaccount the role that ethnicity plays. To understand and address the mental health needs ofminority ethnic groups, professionals need to recognise the diversity of individual needs andcultures. 86There is much debate around the extent to which an illness is culturally shaped. The EMPIRICstudy, for example, has caused much controversy with its findings that emotional experiencesof distress appeared to be broadly universal and that physical symptoms and idioms werecommon across all groups. However, some specific symptoms and some experiences, such asloss of confidence or self-esteem, guilt or shame, were not universal. This study gives nosupport to the claim that Asian patients, rather than others, somatise. 87 Similarly, a study ofPunjabi and English people visiting their general practitioner found that Punjabi cases were notmore likely to have somatic symptoms. However, GPs were more likely to assess Punjabis withcommon mental disorders as having ‘physical and somatic’ symptoms. 88A study of the prevalence of anxiety and depressive illness and help-seeking behaviour inAfrican Caribbeans and White Europeans found that most people of both ethnicities hadconsulted their doctor, but most presented with somatic, rather than psychological, symptoms.What resulted however, was that GPs recognised a psychological problem in 27% of AfricanCaribbeans and 52% of White Europeans. 89Minority Voices Research Report15