Overview of Portfolio

Copts are Christians native to modern-day Egypt and Sudan who are largely religiously affiliated with the Coptic Orthodox Church, they constitute 5-20% of the Egyptian population.  The Coptic diaspora is understudied in psychological literature, with no known psychological studies having been conducted in relation to them in the UK. This thesis aimed to address this gap in the literature by studying the mental health of diasporic Copts.

Part A of the portfolio presents a theoretical review of literature relating to Copts, and the wider MENA group, aiming to determine the degree to which the Cumulative Model of Racial-Ethnic Trauma among Americans of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent (Awad et al. 2019) applies to Copts. Findings suggested that factors such as historical trauma, national context, societal and institutional discrimination, identity and recognition, interpersonal discrimination and microaggressions may be relevant to the mental health of diasporic Copts. However, much of the evidence drew on analogous populations such as MENA Christian diasporas, making conclusions tentative. Additionally, the review also highlighted the role of faith, spirituality, and faith communities in shaping responses to historical trauma, suggesting a potential extension to the model when applied to Copts.

Part B of the portfolio presents an empirical study, utilising focus groups and interviews to investigate the factors relating to the mental health of Copts in the UK, from the perspectives of servants, mental health/medical professionals and clergy who are uniquely positioned in the community. Reflexive thematic analysis led to the development of four themes: 1) Diaspora Journey, Adaptation to Life in the UK and mental health, 2) When the community comes together in a positive way, I think we are unstoppable….' (Abouna Seti) - Role of Community in promoting positive mental health, 3) Spirituality, Service and mental health, and 4) Stigma, denial of mental health difficulties, and variance across the community.