Addressing Place-Based Partnerships with Muslim Women and Girls in Peterborough for Understanding Mental Health and Wellbeing

Why is the research needed?

Peterborough is a city with high levels of disparities and health inequalities with a score of 27.8 on Indices of Multiple Deprivation. In Peterborough, deprivation is higher in areas with higher BME populations (Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic). These inequalities are intertwined with mental health needs and can create barriers to accessing support while exacerbating digital exclusion. One subset of population that may be affected by these disparities and whose mental health needs may be underserved is of Muslim women and girls. There is a need to understand their experiences and tailor support to ensure inclusivity.

What are we doing?

Through this project, we will establish partnerships with organisations supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing of Muslim women and girls in Peterborough. The aim of these partnerships is to understand the needs of this population. We will also conduct discussion sessions with women and girls to understand their experiences. This PPIE activity will leads to co-producing a resource to signpost to available support. Additionally, meetings with stakeholders will be conducted to and ascertain the scope of developing a community-based and holistic intervention. This intervention will respond to the mental health and wellbeing needs identified by this community while engaging with relevant stakeholders and/or community representatives for meaningful service delivery.

How are we working with communities, services and organisations?

We have identified potential organisations and will be reaching out to these in the following weeks.

What will the impact and benefits of this research be?

This research will be informed by the voices of an underserved population. We will co-produce a resource to signpost to available mental health and wellbeing support, and aim to co-design an intervention which will be delivered through subsequent projects. The impact of these activities are: 

• Inclusion of an underserved population for informing knowledge thereby addressing an existing gap in understanding 
• Creating a resource to be shared within communities thereby improving available support and raising awareness 
• Seeking to improve and inform interventions for mental health and wellbeing

What do we have planned for knowledge mobilisation and implementation?

We will be working with the communities and the voluntary services that support their needs. Knowledge will be shared with these stakeholders through stakeholder meetings and an open event that will showcase the findings. The outcomes and progress of this project will be shared internally at ARU through the research centre seminars. It will also be shared with the wider ARC through theme meetings.

Related papers, outputs and resources

Outputs will be added when available