Living with Multiple Sclerosis: the South Asian Experience

What is it about?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic condition of the brain and spinal cord condition that affects 150 000 people in the UK, but there is relatively little known about the experiences of people with South Asian heritage who are affected by this neurological condition. In this article, the author explores how being of South Asian heritage has shaped her experience of living with MS and what MS nurses can do to better support people like her. In it she talks about how a lack of awareness of MS affects the South Asian community; the challenge of language barriers; a blame culture in the Asian community when it comes to disability and illness; stigma, prejudice and cultural ideals; taboo topics and causing offence; and challenges that South Asians might face in choosing care and treatments. Her recommendations to help MS nurses better support people affected by MS from the South Asian community include: developing cultural competency, being aware of language needs, signposting to culturally sensitive support and information, getting to know MS patient leaders of South Asian heritage, and creating a supportive and open environment for people affected by MS.

Featured Image

Photo by siddharth vyas on Unsplash

Photo by siddharth vyas on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Personalised healthcare and shared decision making are integral to better patient outcomes so we need to better understand how certain conditions might impact specific communities differently. This article provides an insight into some of the challenges and barriers that are faced by people affected by MS from the South Asian community, many of which can be applied to other health conditions too. By better understanding these challenges and barriers, we can look at opportunities to improve support for patients and training for healthcare professionals.

Perspectives