Mental health and Asian women: a qualitative study of women's experiences

Abstract

Asian women and mental health has largely been a neglected area of research. International and national research on self-harm and suicide suggests that South Asian women are at an increased risk. Mental Health services acknowledge their lack of involvement with this population group and have instigated initiatives to increase South Asian women’s contact with their services. One such initiative is to carry out further research with South Asian women to help understand their distress and examine implications for Mental Health services. The first paper in this thesis reviews the relevant literature that explores reasons for self-harm and attempted suicide in British South Asian women. The Literature review provides a methodological critique and implications for further research in this field. The second paper in this thesis is an empirical paper which adopts a grounded theory approach, exploring mental health issues in a non-clinical sample of British South Asian women. The third paper is also an empirical paper which adopts a phenomenological approach in order to explore a unique British South Asian woman’s experience of self-harm and attempted suicide. The final paper is a reflective paper which explores my research journey