Co-Designing a Culturally Competent Intervention to Enhance Multiple Mental Health Literacies among Underserved Cancer Patients and Caregivers in the East Midlands

Project Description

Approximately 60% of cancer patients experiencing mental health challenges accept psychological treatment when offered, yet engagement varies significantly across ethnic groups. This disparity is shaped by multiple barriers, including stigma, inadequate screening, and low mental health literacy. Focusing on underserved communities in the East Midlands – a region marked by ethnic diversity and socioeconomic deprivation- this mixed methods study explores how diverse beliefs and practices influence mental health understandings and help-seeking among cancer patients and their caregivers.

Guided by the socio-ecological model, the study will comprise a systematic review and both quantitative and qualitative data collection with patients, carers, and stakeholders, leading to the co-design of a culturally competent intervention to support multiple mental health literacies. The research acknowledges that many individuals seek medical or psychological help only after exhausting community-based, spiritual, or traditional practices. Within the East Midlands, religious diversity intersects with local cultural belief systems, shaping plural perspectives on mental health.

We will explore the concept of multiple mental health literacies to capture how individuals navigate and integrate various explanatory models and healing regimes. These literacies are shaped by social position, cultural norms, and access to resources, and may be drawn upon differently depending on the nature of distress and the help perceived as acceptable or available. By co-designing an intervention that embraces this plurality, the project aims to inform personalised care, support shared decision-making, and reduce mental health inequalities in cancer care.