Impact on staff attitudes of brief personality disorder training for acute psychiatric wards

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire McDonald ◽  
Fiona Seaman-Thornton ◽  
Che Ling Michelle Mok ◽  
Hanne Jakobsen ◽  
Simon Riches
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Staff Attitudes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Acute Psychiatric Wards ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Negative attitudes towards “personality disorder” are common among mental health professionals. This study aims to design a psychoeducational training targeting attitudes to “personality disorder” for staff working in a London psychiatric hospital. Its impact on staff attitudes was evaluated. Design/methodology/approach Mental health clinicians were recruited from five acute psychiatric wards. Feasibility of implementing the training was measured. A free-association exercise explored baseline attitudes to “personality disorder” and visual analogue scales assessed staff attitudes pre- and post-training. Content analysis of staff feedback was carried out. Findings Psychoeducational training was found to be feasible, well-attended and highly valued by ward staff (N = 47). Baseline results revealed negative perceptions of “personality disorder”. Post-training, significant improvements in understanding, levels of compassion and attitudes to working with service users with a diagnosis of a “personality disorder” were observed. Staff feedback highlighted desire for further training and support. Research limitations/implications The sample size was relatively small and there was no control group, so findings should be interpreted with caution. Practical implications The findings highlight the need for support for staff working with service users with diagnoses of “personality disorder” on acute psychiatric wards. Providing regular training with interactive components may promote training as a resource for staff well-being. Planning to ensure service users’ and carers’ views are incorporated into the design of future training will be important. Originality/value This study is innovative in that it investigates the impact of a brief psychoeducational training on “personality disorder” designed for mental health staff on acute psychiatric wards.

scholarly journals Carers and co-production: enabling expertise through experience?

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 232-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the literature to date which has focused on co-production within mental healthcare in the UK, including service user and carer involvement and collaboration. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents key outcomes from studies which have explicitly attempted to introduce co-produced care in addition to specific tools designed to encourage co-production within mental health services. The paper debates the cultural and ideological shift required for staff, service users and family members to undertake co-produced care and outlines challenges ahead with respect to service redesign and new roles in practice. Findings – Informal carers (family and friends) are recognised as a fundamental resource for mental health service provision, as well as a rich source of expertise through experience, yet their views are rarely solicited by mental health professionals or taken into account during decision making. This issue is considered alongside new policy recommendations which advocate the development of co-produced services and care. Research limitations/implications – Despite the launch of a number of initiatives designed to build on peer experience and support, there has been a lack of attention on the differing dynamic which remains evident between healthcare professionals and people using mental health services. Co-production sheds a light on the blurring of roles, trust and shared endeavour (Slay and Stephens, 2013) but, despite an increase in peer recovery workers across England, there has been little research or service development designed to focus explicitly on this particular dynamic. Practical implications – Despite these challenges, coproduction in mental healthcare represents a real opportunity for the skills and experience of family members to be taken into account and could provide a mechanism to achieve the “triangle of care” with input, recognition and respect given to all (service users, carers, professionals) whose lives are touched by mental distress. However, lack of attention in relation to carer perspectives, expertise and potential involvement could undermine the potential for coproduction to act as a vehicle to encourage person-centred care which accounts for social in addition to clinical factors. Social implications – The families of people with severe and enduring mental illness assume a major responsibility for the provision of care and support to their relatives over extended time periods (Rose et al., 2004). Involving carers in discussions about care planning could help to provide a wider picture about the impact of mental health difficulties, beyond symptom reduction. The “co-production of care” reflects a desire to work meaningfully and fully with service users and carers. However, to date, little work has been undertaken in order to coproduce services through the “triangle of care” with carers bringing their own skills, resources and expertise. Originality/value – This paper debates the current involvement of carers across mental healthcare and debates whether co-production could be a vehicle to utilise carer expertise, enhance quality and satisfaction with mental healthcare. The critique of current work highlights the danger of increasing expectations on service providers to undertake work aligned to key initiatives (shared decision-making, person-centred care, co-production), that have common underpinning principles but, in the absence of practical guidance, could be addressed in isolation rather than as an integrated approach within a “triangle of care”.

scholarly journals Aims for service user involvement in mental health training: staying human

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Lea ◽  
Sue Holttum ◽  
Anne Cooke ◽  
Linda Riley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Service User ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Mental Health Training ◽  
Service User Involvement ◽  
Health Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of service user involvement in mental health training but little is known about what staff, trainees and service users themselves want to achieve. Design/methodology/approach Three separate focus groups were held with service users, training staff and trainees associated with a clinical psychology training programme. Thematic analysis was used to identify aims for involvement. Findings All groups wanted to ensure that future professionals “remained human” in the way they relate to people who use services. Service user and carer involvement was seen as a way of achieving this and mitigating the problem of “them and us thinking”. The authors found that groups had some aims in common and others that were unique. Service users highlighted the aim of achieving equality with mental health professionals as an outcome of their involvement in teaching. Research limitations/implications The samples were small and from one programme. Practical implications Common aims can be highlighted to foster collaborative working. However, the findings suggest that service users and carers, staff and trainees may also have different priorities for learning. These need to be recognised and addressed by mental health educators. Originality/value This was the first study to explore in depth the differing aims of different stakeholder groups for service user involvement. Clarification of aims is a vital first step in developing any future measure of the impact of service user involvement on mental health practice.

scholarly journals Novel psychoactive substance use by mental health service consumers: an online survey of inpatient health professionals’ views and experiences

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Hughes ◽  
Dan Bressington ◽  
Kathryn Sharratt ◽  
Richard Gray
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inpatient Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
The Impact

Purpose There is evidence that novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are commonly used by people with severe mental illness. The purpose of this paper is to undertake a scoping survey to explore the inpatient mental health workers’ perceptions of NPS use by consumers. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional online survey of mental health professionals is used in the study. The participants were opportunistically recruited through social media and professional networks. Findings A total of 98 participants (of 175 who started the survey) were included in the analysis. All reported that some patients had used NPS prior to admission. Over 90 per cent of participants reported observing at least one adverse event relating to NPS use in the previous month. The majority of participants reported that patients had used NPS during their inpatient admission. Three quarters were not clear if their workplace had a policy about NPS. Most wanted access to specific NPS information and training. The participants reported that they lacked the necessary knowledge and skills to manage NPS use in the patients they worked with. Research limitations/implications Whilst the authors are cautious about the generalisability (due to methodological limitations), the findings provide useful insight into the perceptions of inpatient staff regarding the extent and impact of NPS use including concerns regarding the impact on mental and physical health, as well as ease of availability and a need for specific training and guidance. Practical implications Mental health professionals require access to reliable and up-to-date information on changing trends in substance use. Local policies need to include guidance on the safe clinical management of substance use and ensure that NPS information is included. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first survey of the perceptions of mental health staff working in inpatient mental health settings regarding NPS. The findings suggest that NPS is a common phenomenon in inpatient mental health settings, and there is a need for more research on the impact of NPS on people with mental health problems.

The “constant tug-of-war” in mental health care in Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki Kyriakidou ◽  
Sofia Triliva
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Therapeutic Services ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on how mental health professionals involved in the therapeutic treatment of children in public mental health facilities in Greece experience and talk about the impact of the socioeconomic crises on the psychotherapeutic process. Design/methodology/approach In all, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted and phenomenologically informed thematic analysis was used in analysing the data. Findings The results coalesced into two all-encompassing thematic structures articulating the following: first, the socioeconomic crises have permeated society and therapeutic praxis like a torrential and chronic rain storm. This has resulted in a deluge in demand for therapeutic services within the public mental health sector; second, mental health professionals describe their positioning and work as “a constant tug-of-war” where they are inundated and often overwhelmed with work, find themselves identifying with service users and taking on several roles simultaneously, and being challenged to find solutions often in dire and complex situations. They describe how creativity and flexibility are in demand in their day-to-day interactions and if they are to intervene in place of a health and welfare system that is faltering. Doing therapeutic work under such circumstances appears to be both emotionally onerous and stimulating with regard to conceptualising new ways of intervening in such complex psychosocial situations. Research limitations/implications The study is limited in that only mental health professionals presented their experiences and service users were not included. The findings do highlight how severe austerity policies impact mental health services and peoples’ lives. Practical implications The study has implications for policy regarding the provision and organisation of mental health services in contexts where crises and economic turmoil prevail. Social implications The results associate severe austerity with major changes in family and community life. Originality/value The paper provides insights and implications on how mental health services are impacted by socioeconomic conditions.

The impact of a co-produced personality disorder training on staff burnout, knowledge and attitudes

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-280
Author(s):  
Chloe Finamore ◽  
Fiammetta Rocca ◽  
Jennie Parker ◽  
Julia Blazdell ◽  
Oliver Dale
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Production Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Mental health professionals working with patients with personality disorder are at risk of burnout. Burnout can adversely affect workforce retention and the delivery of high-quality care. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the three-day Knowledge and Understanding Framework (KUF) awareness-level personality disorder training on burnout, knowledge and attitudes in staff working in mental health settings. Design/methodology/approach A total of 253 mental health professionals attended the KUF training, delivered through a co-production model (i.e. co-delivered by a mental health professional and service user consultant with lived experience). Questionnaires were administered at pre- and post-training to assess changes in burnout symptoms and understanding, perceived capabilities and emotional reactions concerning personality disorder. Findings There were improvements in two burnout domains: decreases in emotional exhaustion (p = 0.009) and increases in personal accomplishment (p < 0.001) between pre-and post-training. Significant improvements were found in understanding, perceived capabilities and emotional reactions (p < 0.001). Research limitations/implications This evaluation is limited by a lack of a control group and long-term follow-up. Further research is required to investigate the sustainability of reductions in burnout for mental health professionals attending training and supervision structures. Originality/value KUF training may contribute to reductions in the high levels of burnout often experienced amongst staff working in mental health settings and could form a part of a broader strategy focussing on continued supervision and opportunities to integrate learning into practice.

Now they’re listening: involvement in clinical psychology training

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29
Author(s):  
Laura Lea ◽  
Sue Holttum ◽  
Victoria Butters ◽  
Diana Byrne ◽  
Helen Cable ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Clinical Psychology ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Service User ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Psychology Training ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Clinical Psychology Training ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe 2014/2015 UK requirement for involvement of service users and carers in training mental health professionals has prompted the authors to review the work of involvement in clinical psychology training in the university programme. Have the voices of service users and carers been heard? The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe authors update the paper of 2011 in which the authors described the challenges of inclusion and the specific approaches the authors take to involvement. The authors do this in the context of the recent change to UK standards for service user and carer involvement, and recent developments in relation to partnership working and co-production in mental healthcare. The authors describe the work carried out by the authors – members of a service user involvement group at a UK university – to ensure the voices of people affected by mental health difficulties are included in all aspects of training.FindingsCareful work and the need for dedicated time is required to enable inclusive, effective and comprehensive participation in a mental health training programme. It is apparent that there is a group of service users whose voice is less heard: those who are training to be mental health workers.Social implicationsFor some people, involvement has increased. Trainee mental health professionals’ own experience of distress may need more recognition and valuing.Originality/valueThe authors are in a unique position to review a service-user-led project, which has run for 12 years, whose aim has been to embed involvement in training. The authors can identify both achievements and challenges.

Is co-production working well in recovery colleges? Emergent themes from a systematic narrative review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Louise Bester ◽  
Anne McGlade ◽  
Eithne Darragh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Social Care ◽  
The Body ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practitioner Attitudes ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact

Purpose “Co-production” is a process in health and social care wherein service users and practitioners work in partnership. Recovery colleges (RCs) are educational establishments offering mental health education; a cornerstone feature is that courses are designed and delivered in parity by both mental health practitioners and “peers” – people with lived experience of mental illness. This paper aims to consider, through the identification of key themes, whether co-production within RCs is operating successfully. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a systematic review of qualitative literature. Relevant concept groups were systematically searched using three bibliographic databases: Medline, Social Care Online and Scopus. Articles were quality appraised and then synthesised through inductive thematic analysis and emergent trends identified. Findings Synthesis identified three key themes relating to the impact of co-production in RCs: practitioner attitudes, power dynamics between practitioners and service users, and RCs’ relationships with their host organisations. As a result of RC engagement, traditional practitioner/patient hierarchies were found to be eroding. Practitioners felt they were more person-centred. RCs can model good co-productive practices to their host organisations. The review concluded, with some caveats, that RC co-production was of high fidelity. Originality/value RC research is growing, but the body of evidence remains relatively small. Most of what exists examine the impact of RCs on individuals’ overall recovery and mental health; there is a limited empirical investigation into whether their flagship feature of parity between peers and practitioners is genuine.

The effectiveness of a sensory modulation workshop on health professional learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 317-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Azuela ◽  
Linda Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Sensory Modulation ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Workshops are commonly used to up-skill staff and their usefulness can be determined by measuring whether or not learning needs have been met and, in particular, whether attitudes have changed. In the field of mental health, sensory modulation workshops have been introduced to educate staff about preventative measures that reduce the use of seclusion and restraint for service users with challenging behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of such a workshop. Design/methodology/approach A one-day workshop was developed based on a review of the literature and feedback from previous workshops, and with input from an industry-based reference group. An evaluation tool was designed to measure the learning outcomes, i.e., the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the 23 participants. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS v20) was used to analyse the data. Multi-variate analysis of variance was used to determine the relationship between variables. Findings A significant increase in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of mental health staff was identified after the one-day workshop (F=106.346, df=1, p<0.000). When considering which participants showed most benefits, it was shown that the demographics had no effect, i.e., education level, practice discipline, years of work experience in mental health, and previous sensory modulation training. Practical implications Measuring learning outcomes provides essential information about whether or not the learning objectives have been met. This allows future workshops to be tailored to ensure that the learning opportunity is at the correct level for the learners. More traditional evaluations that elicit the views of the content covered and teaching methods should additionally be used to supplement this information. Originality/value Workshops are often evaluated on the basis of the participants’ subjective response to a quick questionnaire. Developing a tool to measure outcomes is a more effective way to determine what has been learned and to ensure that positive outcomes for individuals and their organisations can be reached.

Dentistry students’ views about mental illness and impact of a targeted seminar on knowledge and attitudes: a mixed-method study

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Patterson ◽  
Pauline Ford
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to inform education of non-mental health professionals who provide care to people with severe mental illness; to describe dentistry students’ knowledge and views about mental illness, including willingness to engage in various social situations with a person hospitalised for mental illness; and to assess and understand the impact of a targeted lecture on views and attitudes. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employed mixed methods to examine dental students’ knowledge and views about mental disorder before and after a seminar covering mental disorder, disadvantage and oral health. Findings from a bespoke questionnaire administered to third-year dental students were triangulated with qualitative data gathered in interviews with a subsample. Findings – Students understood mental disorder broadly, employing diverse causal models. Although knowledge was typically grounded in media stereotypes, attitudes were benevolent and most students reported willingness to provide dental care to affected individuals. The seminar, especially the consumer delivered section, was valued and associated with increased appreciation of the impact of mental disorder on oral health and need for assertive action to promote access to care. However, students reported being reluctant to disclose their own mental health problems for fear of being considered a professional or personal failure. A minority knew how to seek support if a friend talked of suicide. Research limitations/implications – This study highlights the need for further investigation of the knowledge and attitudes of dentistry students pertinent to provision of care to people with mental illness and to examine the links between attitudes and practice. The paper also provides a useful foundation for development of brief educational interventions, particularly the value in integrating the service user perspective, and their evaluation. Research should also examine the impact of mental health education on practice. Practical implications – A single inexpensive educational session, such as the one the paper developed may support reconsideration of often unconscious views of mental illness which might affect practice. Social implications – If people with mental illness are to receive equitable access to health care, non-mental health professionals should be supported to develop knowledge and attitudes which are conducive to inclusive treatment. An education session such as this could be helpful. Originality/value – There is scant literature examining attitudes of dentistry students and no reports of mental health-specific education with this population.

Service User Involvement in Research

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Wallcraft
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Service User ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Staff Attitudes ◽  
Service User Involvement ◽  
Treatment Staff ◽  
The Impact

This chapter traces the development of service user involvement in research and user-controlled research, from its origins in the early 1990s to the present day where mental health researchers are expected to involve service users. It looks at why service users wanted to be involved in research and their issues of concern, including the effects of treatment, staff attitudes, and human rights. Values in research are linked to the epistemological underpinnings of research, and it is argued that service users’ ways of knowing based on experience are in conflict with mainstream research based on claims of objectivity and neutrality. Service user involvement at all levels from consultation to control is explored with examples. The benefits and problems of working in partnership are explored, and the chapter ends with an assessment of the impact of involvement in research and how it can lead to change.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document