scholarly journals Mental health recovery and arts engagement

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arts Engagement ◽  
Creating Meaning

PurposeArts and cultural activities have been illustrated to be beneficial for mental health service users. The purpose of this paper is to explore the benefits of museum visits and engage in arts activities for mental health service users.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 mental health service users in Denmark. A thematic approach was used to analyse the data and theoretical lens of sociological theories of institutional logics was employed to explore the findings.FindingsThese benefits are perceived to include empowerment and meaning in life, which are two of the core principles of recovery; arts engagement can, therefore, be a useful tool in recovery. The findings also show that the experience of visiting a museum was not always positive and depended upon the interaction with the museum educators.Originality/valueThe service users identified arts engagement as creating meaning in life and empowerment, which are two element in the conceptual framework, CHIME (an acronym for: Connectedness, Hope and optimism, Identity, Meaning in life and Empowerment), that describes the human process of recovery. The findings also highlighted that if museums want to engage positively with people with mental health problems and contribute to their recovery then the training of staff and the improvement of institutional approaches to support working with vulnerable people are essential.

The perspectives of people who use mental health services engaging with arts and cultural activities

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Jensen ◽  
Theodore Stickley ◽  
Alison Edgley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Museum Educator

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a study of arts engagement for mental health service users in Denmark. Design/methodology/approach – The study was completed at Hans Knudsen Instituttet, Denmark. It involved analysis of emerging themes from semi-structured interviews with six participants who had participated in a structured visit to the National Gallery (Statens Museum for Kunst) in Denmark. Findings – Multiple benefits for people who use mental health services engaging in arts activities are reported. Arts activities are described as a central component of everyday life; a way of life and a significant factor in getting through the day. Barriers are identified in the interdisciplinary working between the museum educator and participants. Social implications – This study identifies that the participants benefited from taking part in the arts/cultural activity. Findings also suggest that if museums are offering activities to people who use mental health services they should equip staff with training designed to support appropriate ways of working with this group. This interdisciplinary activity offers a relatively untapped potential arena of support. Originality/value – The paper will be of relevance and value to those working with mental health and arts. The study demonstrates the importance for mental health service users to engage in creative activity and for museum staff to have appropriate skills for inclusion to be successful.

scholarly journals Person-centred phenomenology: service user experiences of exercise

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Pickard ◽  
Alison Rodriguez ◽  
Kiara Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Exercise Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sport And Exercise ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the lived experience of sport and exercise amongst a group of mental health service users. Participants were recruited from a north of England NHS mental health trust that was piloting a sport and exercise intervention for adults with mental health needs. Design/methodology/approach In depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with five mental health service users. The chosen phenomenological methodology was collaborative and interpretive. Findings Two essential themes were highlighted: “Intermittent health breaking through heavy clouds of illness” and “The cycle of recovery”. In addition, this person-centred research identified a number of intervention benefits beyond those relating to the impact of physical activity on mental health and wellbeing. The main findings are expressed using visual imagery which participants found expressed their perceptions and experiences better than written prose. This includes the way day-to-day illness impacts on the journey of health for people with mental health problems. Research limitations/implications The intervention looked to help the transition between leaving mental health services and developing a regular routine to promote recovery. The study illuminates the voices of service users and identifies that sport and exercise for mental health service users can be beneficial for recovery and feelings of belonging which can strengthen perceptions of the self. Originality/value Few studies have approached this methodological approach. This study demonstrates the value of phenomenological research with a collaborative, person-centred or indeed an involved patient focus. This collaborative approach enabled a shared understanding of the phenomena.

scholarly journals Experience of stigma among mental health service users in Hong Kong: Are there changes between 2001 and 2017?

2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ka-Fai Chung ◽  
Samson Tse ◽  
Chit-Tat Lee ◽  
Michael Ming-Cheuk Wong ◽  
Wing-Man Chan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Over Time

Background: Public expenditure on mental health education has grown exponentially in the past two decades. Does the experience of stigma among people with mental health problems improve over time? Our study aims to compare the levels of perceived stigmatization, rejection experiences and stigma–coping among mental health service users in Hong Kong between 2001 and 2017 using longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional study design. Method: The baseline survey was completed by 193 psychiatric outpatients in 2001. They were traced for re-assessment in 2017. Another sample of 193 outpatients matched in age, gender and psychiatric diagnosis was recruited in 2017 for cross-sectional comparison. Participants completed a 39-item questionnaire on stigma experiences, Beck Depression Inventory and Disability Assessment Schedule at both time points. Results: In total, 109 of 193 participants (56.5%) of the 2001 survey were re-assessed. No significant change in perceived stigmatization, rejection experiences and stigma–coping was found among the 109 participants interviewed in 2001 and 2017. For cross-sectional comparison, significant differences in two perceived stigma items were observed upon Bonferroni correction (chi-square test, p < .005) and remained significant after controlling for confounding factors by regression analysis. Improvements in perceived stigmatization were on marriage and friendship, while viewpoints on trustworthiness, dangerousness, devaluation, avoidance and personal failure remained unchanged, and there was no improvement in rejection experiences and stigma–coping. Conclusion: Positive attitude changes over time are unlikely to occur if there is no targeted intervention on stigma. Our findings highlight that evidence-based antistigma interventions are urgently needed.

Linking the past and the present: service users’ perspectives of how adverse experiences relate to their admission to forensic mental health services

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Cartwright ◽  
Daniel Lawrence ◽  
Christopher Hartwright
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Forensic Mental Health ◽  
Discussion Section ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Secure Care ◽  
Adverse Experiences

Purpose This study aimed to explore how forensic mental health service users make sense of their past adverse experiences. Secondly, it aimed to explore whether service users considered their adverse experiences to be related to their current stay in a forensic mental health setting. Design/methodology/approach Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse interviews with eight service users in low and medium secure care. Six of the participants were male and two were female. Findings Four super-ordinate themes emerged from the data: “Living amongst adversity”; “Managing adverse experiences”; “Making sense of going into secure care”; and “Coping with the past in the present”. All participants referred to multiple adverse experiences throughout their lives and used harmful coping strategies to manage these. Individual differences in how they related their past experiences to their detention in secure care were evident. Practical implications Author guidelines state that this section is optional. Implications for clinical practice are discussed at length in the discussion section. Originality/value This study offers an insight into the way in which forensic mental health service users make sense of their past traumas in relation to their current admission to secure services. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research has previously addressed this from the perspective of service users.

The experience of learning from mental health service users and carers

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-130
Author(s):  
Charlotte Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Emotional Arousal ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cognitive Experience

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore student experiences of learning from mental health service users and carers. Design/methodology/approach In total, 30 clinical psychology trainees and ex-trainees took part in an online survey (n=21) or focus group (n=9). Responses were analysed using interpretative thematic analysis. Findings A number of themes were identified. There were two pre-conditions of learning: valuing the teaching and emotional arousal. Participants’ learning experiences were characterised by cognitive and meta-cognitive processes: active learning, reflection, increased attention and vivid memories. Furthermore, participants might have a meta-cognitive experience of having learned something, but being unsure what that something was. Participants reported learning about the lives of service users, about themselves and about the wider societal context for people with mental health difficulties. Practical implications In order to facilitate learning students should value the input of service users. This allows them to contain and use the emotional arousal the teaching produces. Furthermore, leaving students with a feeling that something has been learned but not being exactly sure what that has been may facilitate students seeking out further opportunities for service user involvement. Originality/value Few studies have explored the process of learning from mental health service users and carers. In the current study, the emotion aroused in participants was primary. Furthermore, a new meta-cognitive experience, namely, the experience of having learned something, but not being sure what has been learned, has been identified.

An evaluation of peer-led self-management training for people with severe psychiatric diagnoses

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Cyhlarova ◽  
David Crepaz-Keay ◽  
Rachel Reeves ◽  
Kirsten Morgan ◽  
Valentina Iemmi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Psychiatric Diagnoses ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Health Promoting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish the effectiveness of self-management training as an intervention for people using secondary mental health services. Design/methodology/approach – A self-management and peer support intervention was developed and delivered by secondary mental health service users to 262 people with psychiatric diagnoses living in the community. Data on wellbeing and health-promoting behaviour were collected at three time points (baseline, six, and 12 months). Findings – Participants reported significant improvements in wellbeing and health-promoting lifestyle six and 12 months after self-management training. Peer-led self-management shows potential to improve long-term health outcomes for people with psychiatric diagnoses. Research limitations/implications – Due to the lack of a control group, the positive changes cannot definitively be attributed to the intervention. Other limitations were reliance on self-report measures, and the varying numbers of completers at three time points. These issues will be addressed in future studies. Practical implications – The evaluation demonstrated the effectiveness of self-management training for people with psychiatric diagnoses, suggesting self-management training may bring significant wellbeing gains for this group. Social implications – This study represents a first step in the implementation of self-management approaches into mental health services. It demonstrates the feasibility of people with psychiatric diagnoses developing and delivering an effective intervention that complements existing services. Originality/value – This is the first study to investigate the effectiveness of a self-management training programme developed and delivered by mental health service users in the UK.

scholarly journals Coping with stigma and discrimination: evidence from mental health service users in England

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 577-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Isaksson ◽  
E. Corker ◽  
J. Cotney ◽  
S. Hamilton ◽  
V. Pinfold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination

Aims.Mental health stigma and discrimination are significant problems. Common coping orientations include: concealing mental health problems, challenging others and educating others. We describe the use of common stigma coping orientations and explain variations within a sample of English mental health service users.Methods.Cross-sectional survey data were collected as part of the Viewpoint survey of mental health service users’ experiences of discrimination (n = 3005). Linear regression analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with the three stigma coping orientations.Results.The most common coping orientation was to conceal mental health problems (73%), which was strongly associated with anticipated discrimination. Only 51% ever challenged others because of discriminating behaviour, this being related to experienced discrimination, but also to higher confidence to tackle stigma.Conclusions.Although stigma coping orientations vary by context, individuals often choose to conceal problems, which is associated with greater anticipated and experienced discrimination and less confidence to challenge stigma. The direction of this association requires further investigation.

Occupational health in mental health services: a qualitative study

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-44
Author(s):  
Jennifer Oates ◽  
Rasiha Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore occupational health (OH) clinicians’ perspectives on employee mental health in the mental health workplace in the English National Health Service. Design/methodology/approach Thematic analysis of data from seven semi-structured interviews is performed in this paper. Findings Three themes emerged under the core theme of “Situating OH services”: “the Uniqueness of the mental health service setting”, “the Limitations of OH services” and “the Meaning of mental health at work”. An important finding came from the first theme that management referrals in mental health may be due to disputes about workers’ fitness to face violence and aggression, a common feature of their working environment. Research limitations/implications This was a small scale study of a previously unresearched population. Practical implications These findings should be used to refine and standardise OH provision for mental healthcare workers, with a particular focus on exposure to violence and workers’ potential “lived experience” of mental illness as features of the mental health care workplace. Originality/value This is the first study to explore OH clinicians’ perspectives on the mental health service working environment.

scholarly journals Social prescribing for patients of secondary mental health services: emotional, psychological and social well-being outcomes

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 271-279
Author(s):  
Chris Dayson ◽  
Jo Painter ◽  
Ellen Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Prescribing

Purpose This paper aims to identify the well-being outcomes of a social prescribing model set within a secondary mental health service recovery pathway and understand the key characteristics of a social prescribing referral for producing these outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study of one mental health social prescribing service with three nested case studies of social prescribing providers. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with commissioners, providers and patients (n = 20) and analysed thematically. Findings Social prescribing makes a positive contribution to emotional, psychological and social well-being for patients of secondary mental health services. A key enabling mechanism of the social prescribing model was the supportive discharge pathway which provided opportunities for sustained engagement in community activities, including participation in peer-to-peer support networks and volunteering. Research limitations/implications More in-depth research is required to fully understand when, for whom and in what circumstances social prescribing is effective for patients of secondary mental health services. Practical implications A supported social prescribing referral, embedded within a recovery focussed secondary mental health service pathway, offers a valuable accompaniment to traditional approaches. Current social prescribing policy is focussed on increasing the number of link workers in primary care, but this study highlights the importance models embedded within secondary care and of funding VCSE organisations to receive referrals and provide pathways for long-term engagement, enabling positive outcomes to be sustained. Originality/value Social prescribing is widely advocated in policy and practice but there are few examples of social prescribing models having been developed in secondary mental health services, and no published academic studies that everybody are aware of.

scholarly journals The crucible of co-production: Case study interviews with Recovery College practitioner trainers

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (8) ◽  
pp. 977-987
Author(s):  
Mark Dalgarno ◽  
Jennifer Oates
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Single Site ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Structured Interviews

Objectives: This study explored healthcare professionals’ accounts of being practitioner trainers in a mental health Recovery College, where they worked with peer trainers, who were people with lived experience of mental illness, to co-produce workshops for mental health service users and staff. The aim of this study was to understand the process of co-production in the Recovery College from the perspective of practitioner trainers. Design: Single-site case study. Setting: A Recovery College in the South of England, open to staff and service users from one mental health care provider organisation. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with eight mental healthcare professionals. Transcripts were thematically analysed. Results: A central image of ‘the workshop as crucible’ emerged from the three themes derived from the analysis. Co-facilitating the workshop was a ‘structured’ encounter, within which health professionals experienced ‘dynamism’ and change. For them, this involved experiences of ‘challenge and discomfort’. Conclusion: Findings from this study contribute to the evidence base for the evaluation of Recovery Colleges by focusing on the training impact on staff. Findings suggest that taking on a trainer role in Recovery College co-production is beneficial for healthcare professionals as well as mental health service users, especially if healthcare professionals are open to the dynamism and possible discomfort of these workshop encounters. Future research, however, should expand beyond single-site case studies to test the extent to which this metaphor and themes are appropriate to describing the ‘transformative’ element of co-production.

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