Survival and Resilience: Ethnic Minority Narratives of Navigating Mental Health and Criminal Justice Systems

Linton, Shaquilla Tiana Komani (2025) Survival and Resilience: Ethnic Minority Narratives of Navigating Mental Health and Criminal Justice Systems. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Background
Mental health inequities are commonly experienced by people from an ethnic minoritised background in western contexts. Ethnic minority people are more likely to be given a diagnosis of a severe mental illness (SMI). Black people, especially Black men, are likely to enter mental healthcare through the pathway of the Criminal Justice System (CJS), which are reported to be discriminatory and non-therapeutic environments, potentially exacerbating psychological distress leading to poor mental health outcomes. However, the perspectives of these mental health inequities and experiences have rarely been voiced by the ethnic minority people experiencing them.

Methods
A qualitative systematic review of 20 papers using narrative synthesis was conducted to understand the perspectives and experiences of personal recovery outcomes for ethnic minority people with SMI. Empirical research conducted with six Black men using semi-structured interviews was used to investigate their experiences of accessing mental health services (MHS), through the CJS. The interviews were analysed using a narrative inquiry approach.

Findings
The systematic review revealed three themes: i) The Family as a Supportive and Obstructive System; ii) Faith as the Foundation for Hopefulness and iii) Discovering Identity through Agency and Social Interactions. These themes included the facilitators and barriers of personal recovery for ethnic minority people with SMI. In the empirical paper the following four themes emerged from the Black men’s narratives: The Perfect Storm (life adversity), Surveillance under the CJS (life within the CJS), Accessing Mental Health Support (receiving psychological care) and Lessons and Moving Forward (personal growth and the future).

Conclusion
Finding purpose and meaning in life can be compounded by systemic inequities such as personal and experienced trauma, racial discrimination, social disadvantage and care that is not tailored to ethnocultural identity. Implications for Clinical Psychology and future research opportunities are highlighted to ensure mental health inequities are minimised.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	28 Oct 2025 11:44
Last Modified:	28 Oct 2025 11:44
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100814
DOI:

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