Dissociation in black people of African and African Caribbean descent in the UK

Information Sheet

Dear Participant,

My name is Vernon De Maynard, and I have been working in primary mental health care in London UK for some years now. Mental health has been defined as ‘a state of well-being whereby individuals recognize their abilities, are able to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and make a contribution to their communities’ (WHO 2003, p. 7). Therefore, the absence of mental health within the black community in the UK has become a serious issue. There has been some speculation as to the cause of mental ill-health within the black community, but little evidence exists to establish a causal relationship between the experience of racism and the deterioration in mental health. My research interests are social psychology, and in particular the way people process social information about race, ethnicity, difference, and health.

Whilst it is accepted that, black people may use a number of different psychological defence mechanisms to deal with the effects of racism, I have chosen to focus my research on the psychological defence mechanism – dissociation. To explore these issues, I have designed a study to look at the normal process of dissociation in those who are often confronted with ‘racism’. Dissociation may be defined as: is a psychological state or condition in which certain thoughts, emotions, sensations, or memories are separated from the rest of the psyche. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as "splitting", and I will be asking the question, do black people in general dissociate in response to the trauma of racism, and if so, how might this phenomenon be best measured?

Too many black people are being detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, diagnosed with schizophrenia; and yet, very little known about the events leading up to their detention, or how their everyday experiences may be related to those of other black people who do not experience mental ill-health. The vast majority of black people, who also experience racism within the context of their everyday lives, do not end up in mental institutions or detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. Those black people that do end up detained, one way or the other, often give ‘racism’ as the cause of their detention, but there is very little scientific evidence showing how perceived ‘racism’ might be related to their mental health. Therefore, this study has been designed to look at the problem of ‘racism’ in black men, and hopefully address some of the issues already mentioned.

What is the purpose of the study?

The study is an attempt to determine whether there is any relation between the racialised black body image, and dissociative experiences in black people of African and African Caribbean descent in the UK

Why am I interested in black people?

I am interested in black people because they continue to be over represented within the mental health system, and we know very little about how they may process information about racism they might experience within the context of their everyday lives.

What do I have to do?

All you have to do is answer ALL the items on the questionnaire, in your own time, to the best of your ability, and return it to the research investigator. If you do not want to respond to any of the items, please leave it blank. There is no time limit, but please do not think about the questions for too long.

What will happen to the information?

The research investigator will collect anonymously, and hold them within London South Bank University databases until the end of the study. The study will end when I have a representative sample of respondents. None of the information with shared with a third party without your expressed permission, and you can be assured confidentiality will be maintained throughout.

What will happen to the results?

The results will be written into a thesis, and the aggregated findings will be disseminated at a conference. At the end of the study, you will be able to request a summary of the findings from the researcher. You will not be identifiable in the thesis or summary.

Do I have to take part?

Participation is voluntary. If, you at all unhappy with any part of the study, you can leave it blank, or with draw from the study at any time.

Who has reviewed the study? Who is Organising and funding the Study?

The study has been reviewed by the London South Bank University Ethics and Research Committee, and is being organised and funded by the Researcher, Vernon A. De Maynard (London South Bank University).

Thanks for participating in this study

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