Religious coping among ethnic minority groups in south-east London

Religion is often neglected by mainstream psychology, despite approximately 90% of the world's population participating in some form of religious or spiritual practice. South-east London is home to a multicultural population, with enduring health inequalities. Religious coping and religious advisors are important in supporting mental health needs of faith communities, particularly in Black Majority Churches (BMCs). Less is known about how religious coping functions in the face of adversity over the life course among UK ethnic minority and migrant groups, despite a notable rise in BMCs in London.
The study aims to:
(1) critically review the scientific and policy literature on the role of religion in relation to mental health and mental health service use;
(2 explore how structural and cultural membership within two BMCs in south-east London interplay with religious coping, mental health and help-seeking among clergy and congregants; and
(3) examine the association between religiosity and religious coping with mental health and health service use outcomes, using prospective data from the South East London Community Health study (SELCoH).
The study will use mixed-methods to address the aims, beginning with forming an advisory group of members from BMCs, as part of a Community Based Participatory Research approach. Qualitative methodology will address the second aim: (i) ethnography; followed by purposively sampling clergy and congregational members from BMCs to participate in (ii) interviews; and (iii) focus groups using a PhotoVoice methodology framework. The study will concurrently address the third aim using secondary data analysis of longitudinal data from the SELCoH study.