DIAMONDS URDU.

Understanding Reach and Delivery in Urdu.

DIAMONDS URDU aims to improve healthcare for South Asian communities in the UK who have severe mental illness and type 2 diabetes.

By translating DIAMONDS into Urdu and delivering the translated programme to participants, we hope to overcome language barriers and provide better healthcare support.

Click here to find out more about the main DIAMONDS programme and how you can get involved.

Project aims.

1 - Understand experiences.

We will talk to Urdu-speaking participants and their families to learn about their experiences with the DIAMONDS programme.

2 - Check feasibility.

We will see how practical it is to deliver the DIAMONDS programme in Urdu by reviewing session notes and holding discussions with bilingual DIAMONDS Coaches.

3 - Explore consistency.

We will compare Urdu sessions with English sessions to explore similarities and differences.

The DIAMONDS URDU team.

Click on a name to find out more about us and our work.

Jen Brown, project lead

Jen manages the DIAMONDS Programme and leads DIAMONDS URDU. She oversees the research, leads the team, and works closely with mental health trusts to support members of the South Asian community who wish to join the DIAMONDS trial. As project lead, she organised the translation of the study materials in collaboration with the EMRI project, and coordinates the allocation of bilingual intervention facilitators to Urdu-speaking participants. Jen is the main contact for public contributors, including the service-user and carer group DIAMONDS Voice. Jen is based in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York.

Pete Coventry, co-lead

Pete mentors and advises the team. He supports Jen in running the project and contributes to analysing and understanding the results to improve health outcomes for participants. Alongside Jen, Pete provides guidance and leadership to ensure DIAMONDS URDU can provide added value to the DIAMONDS programme. Pete is based in the Department of Health Sciences and the York Environmental Sustainability Institute at the University of York.

Shabana Din, public co-investigator

Shabana is a community engagement worker and cultural competency consultant. She connects with mental health organisations and South Asian community groups. In the DIAMONDS URDU project, she recruits participants, supports bilingual meetings, and ensures the project is culturally appropriate. Shabana is crucial for outreach and communication.

Vicki Johnson, co-investigator

Vicki leads a team who trains and mentors DIAMONDS coaches to deliver the programme. For DIAMONDS URDU, Vicki and her team train and support the bilingual research staff to carry out the fidelity assessments for the Urdu sessions. She is based at the Leicester Diabetes Centre.

Michelle Hadjiconstantinou, co-investigator

Michelle focuses on intervention fidelity and cultural adaptation. Michelle ensures that the programme stays effective and culturally relevant while providing mentorship and support to the research team. Michelle is based at Leicester Diabetes Centre and the University of Leicester.

Kamlesh Khunti, co-investigator

Kamlesh offers expert advice on diabetes and ethnic minority health. Kamlesh helps interpret study results and develop strategies to share knowledge, ensuring the project is culturally sensitive and impactful. Kamlesh is based at the University of Leicester.

Project plan.

Interviews: Speak with Urdu-speaking participants and their carers.
Session review: Analyse notes from Urdu-language sessions.
Focus groups: Discuss with coaches who deliver the programme in Urdu.
Fidelity assessment: Use checklists to compare Urdu and English sessions.

What we hope to learn.

Better participation: Evaluate if Urdu materials improve participation and experience.
Practical insights: Understand the challenges and successes of delivering the programme in Urdu.
Understanding delivery: Investigate similarities and differences between English and Urdu sessions.

We will share our findings in easy-to-understand formats like blogs, infographics, and podcasts, available in both English and Urdu. Our goal is to reduce health inequalities and improve healthcare access for South Asian communities with severe mental illness and type 2 diabetes.

This study/project is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) [Programme Development Grants (NIHR206939)]. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.