About

If cancer is found early, the person may have a better chance of survival. In the United Kingdom there are three cancer screening programmes aim to identify cervical, breast and bowel cancer. People with severe mental Illness and people with learning disabilities are less likely, than other people, to attend cancer screening programmes. This current study wants to find out what influences the decisions of people with severe mental Illness to take part in the cancer screening programmes. We will then compare these results with what we already know from other research with people with learning disabilities and see if the results are the same.

This will be addressed by:

1) A review of research that has already been completed to find what are the known factors that influences the decision making and uptake of people with severe mental illness to cervical, breast and colorectal cancer screening.

2) Conducting interviews with up to 36 people with severe mental illness about their perceptions of cancer screening, and/or their experiences of attending cancer screening.

3) Identify any similar barriers, and common facilitators, that influence decision making and uptake of people with severe mental illness and people with learning disabilities to cancer screening. This will identify group specific factors, and factors that are distinct to each group.

4) Developing a plan, to conduct a future research study to further understand how the recommendations could be implemented into practice.

It is hoped that the research will help identify ways in which the screening programmes can be more person centred based on the needs and preferences of people with severe mental illness and people with learning disabilities, which may then lead to a greater uptake in cancer screening.