Same storm, different boats: the impact of COVID-19 on Black students and academic staff in UK and US higher education.

The permanence of systemic racism in the UK and USA means that Black people are disadvantaged in myriad ways, including within the Academy. While the disproportionate impact of COVID-19, alongside the Black Lives Matter movement, has increased awareness of the challenges faced by Black communities, these issues remain, both in and beyond higher education. Furthermore, there is still a paucity of research individualising the experiences of Black people, who are often homogenised with other ethnic minority groups. This paper explores the impact of COVID-19 on UK and US Black students and academic staff, utilising a critical race theory (CRT) framework. Analysis revealed that Black students and staff experienced COVID-19 against the backdrop of racism as a "pandemic within a pandemic" (Laurencin and Walker, Cell Systems 11:9-10, 2020), including racial (re)traumatisation, loneliness and isolation. Other themes included precarious employment and exploitation. Recommendations are offered for penetrative interventions that can support Black students and staff in the wake of strained race relations neglecting their adverse experiences and a global pandemic.

Experience-based Investigation and Co-design of Psychosis Centred Integrated Care Services for Ethnically Diverse People with Multimorbidity (CoPICS): study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Ethnic minorities (also called racialised groups) are more likely to experience severe mental illness (SMI). People with SMI are more likely to experience multimorbidity (MM), making psychosis among racialised groups more likely to lead to MM, poor outcomes, disability and premature mortality. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded study (151887) seeks to use innovative participatory methods including photovoice and biographical narrative interviews in urban and rural areas of England to assemble experience data. These data will be subjected to polytextual thematic analysis, and alongside pictures and captions, will inform an experienced-based co-design of interventions, the implementation of which will be evaluated. There will be an economic analysis and a process evaluation of the implementation. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This programme of work has received ethical (IRAS 322421; Newcastle North Tyneside Research Ethics Committee 23/NE/0143) and sponsor approval. The findings will be disseminated in galleries showing the creative work, as lay and academic summaries and infographics; as practice briefings for practitioners, commissioners and policy makers; peer-reviewed publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: https://www.researchregistry.com/browse-the-registry%23home/registrationdetails/649c08111c037d0027b17d17/.

Protocol for black student well-being study: a multi-site qualitative study on the mental health and well-being experiences of black UK university students.

INTRODUCTION: There is an increasing concern about the mental health and mental well-being of university students in the UK. Black university students who report a mental health condition are less likely to complete their course, achieve a first-class or upper second-class degree and progress to further education. This study will document black university students' accounts of their mental health experiences and perceptions of key turning points of biographical changes to their mental health as they move through the university life cycle. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a qualitative study. Data will be collected through a biographical narrative interpretive method. Interviews will enable the researcher to study systematically how participants make sense of themselves and account for the complexities of their life experiences, from their own perspectives and language. An interpretative phenomenological approach will be used to offer insights into what black students studying at UK universities report affects their mental health and well-being. Data collection for this study commenced in October 2020. Data collection and analyses will be completed by January 2022. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Full ethical approval for the current study was obtained from King's College London Psychiatry, Nursing and Midwifery Research Ethics Subcommittee (Rec Ref: 20489, Project Ref: HR-19/20-20489, 2 October 2020). From the study findings, we aim to contribute to the evidence base, make recommendations for interventions and encourage further study into black student mental health.