Exploring cultural dynamics of Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) women in addiction recovery: a comparison of three women from different ethnic backgrounds

Figures & data

Table 1. REC-CAP score profile of Jazz, Laura and Sharon.

	Barriers and unmet needs			Strengths
	Barriers	Unmet Needs	Quality of Life	PRC	SRC	CRC	Motivation	Total
Jazz	0/5	0/8	97/100	24/25	25/25	11/14	30/30	97.6
Laura	2/5	3/8	58/100	11/25	10/25	8/14	23/30	55.1 − 38.7 = 16.4
Sharon	3/5	4/8	56/100	9/25	16/25	10/14	26/30	62.8 − 50 = 12.8

Table 2. Recovery pathways comparison table for three ethnic women in recovery.

Themes	Jazz	Laura	Sharon
Motivators to change	Death of her brother due to addiction Children	Motherhood and mental health	Independence
Effective approaches (all peer based organisations)	Approaches designed by BAC-IN	NA and Dear Albert	Involved with the SMART Recovery, self-management, and recovery training
Volunteering	Volunteer at a culturally sensitive peer led recovery organisations	No theme emerged	Volunteer with ex-offenders with substance use problems
Practices to improve wellbeing	Meditation, spirituality, and gratitude	Utilize all recovery services	Enrollment in higher education. Walks in nature
Embracing self	Indulging in self-care, self-acceptance, and self-awareness	Self-aware to recognize the problem	Takes pride in her appearance and experiences freedom
Family and social connections	Supportive family and peers in recovery	Restore bonds with son	Connecting with her community Empathizing with peers
Aspirations	Develop more culturally sensitive organisations	To maintain recovery	Become a certified counselor. Staying sober
Barriers and unmet needs	Lack of BAME treatment service and support Communities justifying alcohol use in men Denial of addiction problems in the communities Role of shame and stigma Ineffective mainstream services	Ineffective mainstream services Lack of ongoing care	Ineffective mutual aid services Lack of communication and financial setbacks within services

Table 3. Application of CHIME framework to ethnic women’s addiction recovery.

Components of CHIME	South Asian	African-Caribbean	White
Connectedness	Being connected to a higher power Restoring family bonds One-to-one peer support in culturally appropriate recovery services	Reaching out to available local services Attending recovery meetings Working to restore bonds with son	Reaching out to local support groups and peer support groups in-person and through zoom calls Involvement in community engagement
Hope + Optimism	Having dreams of building more culturally tailored services in the UK	Her son and her mental health as motivators to change Belief in the possibility of recovery Being able to remain sober	Intrinsic motivation to change Being able to remain sober
Identity	Self-acceptance and self-awareness Based around physical fitness Practicing mindfulness and meditation Embracing self-care	Shift in identity after becoming a mother	Self-care Achieving peace of mind
Meaning + Purpose	Utilizing lived experiences by helping others in recovery Gratitude- Having another child, being a grounded and present mother, and being able to connect with her family	Gaining more addictions, ongoing search for meaning	Pursuing higher education to become a counsellor Volunteering with ex-offenders
Empowerment	Challenging generational stigma and toxic patriarchy Asserting the need of culturally sensitive treatment services	Seeking a new definition of success in recovery Resilience and determination inspite of setbacks in recovery Identifying what services work for her Acknowledging it’s not about the services not working but her willingness and ability to work with the services.	Prioritizing self Challenging herself and setting goals