Appreciating collaborative service improvement – a case study on using appreciative inquiry methodology in co-production in mental health

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-111
Author(s):  
Nicholas Dent
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Appreciative Inquiry ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Service Improvement

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the value of appreciative inquiry (AI) methodology in enabling co-productive work within mental health service development. Design/methodology/approach The methodology of AI is described and observations on its use in mental health service improvement are considered. Findings AI is a really helpful tool in supporting service improvement and is particularly applicable in mental health discussions involving service users and carers. Many service users and carers engaging with service development discussions have had adverse past experiences which can inhibit their successful contribution to planning discussions. AI allows a more positive reflection on how services can be improved which can help achieve positive results. Research limitations/implications AI methodology is a really useful tool in supporting improvement discussions across health, and other public, services, and is particularly valuable in engaging mental health service users and carers in such activity. Practical implications The method is useful across service development needs and could be developed to support mental health service improvement locally, regionally and nationally. Developing the use of this method could make a real contribution to improving relations between service users, carers and health staff and support meaningful and positive change in the delivery of mental health services. Social implications Helping to overcome dissonance between service users and carers, and health staff and commissioners; and developing the use of appreciative enquiry could enhance the value of co-production as a key driver for service improvement. Originality/value The author is aware of little discussion of the value of appreciative enquiry in the growing literature around co-production in mental health.

Appreciative enquiry peer review improving quality of services

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 857-866
Author(s):  
Frank R. Burbach ◽  
Sarah K. Amani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Early Intervention In Psychosis ◽  
Health Service Improvement

Purpose Mental health service improvement initiatives often involve the setting of targets and monitoring of performance. The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of appreciative enquiry (AE), a radically different but complementary approach to quality assurance and improvement, to specialist mental health services across a health region. Design/methodology/approach This case study describes a regional quality improvement (QI) project involving 12 early intervention in psychosis (EIP) services in South West England. In total, 40 people were trained in AE interviewing skills and in non-reciprocal peer review visits 59 interviews were conducted involving 103 interviewees including service users, carers, clinicians, managers and commissioners. Immediate verbal feedback was provided and main themes summarised in individual reports to host teams using the following headings: team values, strengths, dreams and development plans. A thematic analysis was conducted on team reports and a project report produced which summarised the stages and results of this regional initiative. Findings All participants rated the experience as positive; it enhanced staff motivation and led to service development and improvement. Research limitations/implications The experiences of these 12 EIP teams may not necessarily be generalisable to other services/regions but this positive approach to service improvement could be widely applied. Practical implications AE is applicable in large-scale QI initiatives. Originality/value To the authors knowledge this is the first time that AE has been applied to large-scale mental health service improvement and innovation.

scholarly journals Foregrounding the perspectives of mental health services users during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-133
Author(s):  
Hannah Zeilig ◽  
Brioney Gee ◽  
Bonnie Teague ◽  
Jonathan Wilson ◽  
Corinna Hackmann
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Lead Author ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Service Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategy Design

Purpose This paper aims to highlight the critical importance of the perspectives of mental health service-users during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach This viewpoint is based on a review of recent research and literature and draws on consultations with experts by experience, including the lead author. Findings The authors argue that expertise-by-experience is critical to policy, service development and research; but there is a risk it will be neglected at a time of rapid and reactive clinical development. Research limitations/implications Understanding and responding to the nuances of individual need can only be achieved through coproducing service strategy design, delivery and research with mental health service users. The consultation outlined in this viewpoint gives some indication of the type of valuable insights that can be gained through seeking and listening to the perspectives of experts by experience. Originality/value The discussions revealed that experience of managing severe and complex mental health conditions can actually be advantageous when facing a crisis such as COVID-19.

Overcoming challenges in service user involvement in an older people’s mental health service

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-155
Author(s):  
Sophie Smith ◽  
Maria Abbas ◽  
Ariane Zegarra
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Service User ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Service User Involvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Members

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe how an older people’s mental health service involves service users in research and service improvement projects, the value of this work and the ways in which barriers to user-led research have been approached and handled. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a reflective review of their experiences of running “ResearchNet”, a group aimed at putting service users’ perspectives at the heart of service improvement projects, which benefits from and develops its members’ related skills. The authors explore overcoming barriers to service user involvement in research. Findings This paper identified the following key elements that enabled ResearchNet to overcome barriers which might be found in service user–led research: recruitment processes; identifying research projects; building confidence, sustaining motivation and overcoming setbacks; developing service user’s research skills; keeping multiple views in mind; involving people with dementia; being responsive to group members’ needs; and keeping the group safe. Practical implications Oxleas National Health Service is currently looking at integrating with the quality improvement team to provide further structure and training to group members. Originality/value This paper explores an under-represented area of research – service user inclusion in older adult mental health research and service improvement. It provides much needed clinical implications for clinicians seeking to increase clients’ involvement in research and service development projects.

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.

Systematic review of the role of service users as researchers in mental health studies

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Salvi ◽  
Julia Jones ◽  
Mirella Ruggeri
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Stage Of Development

SUMMARYAims – Service user involvement in mental health service development and research is becoming more common in countries like the UK. USA and Canada. This systematic review of the international scientific literature has been carried out to assess the stage of development of mental health service users involvement in research. Method – Systematic review of any research project actively involving service users in any part of the research process. Results – Thirty-five studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Nine studies used quantitative techniques, 24 used qualitative techniques and two studies used both quantitative and qualitative techniques. While three studies were user-led, in three other studies the users were simply consulted but did not have any active role in the research. The remaining 29 studies were based on a collaboration between service users and professional researchers. Conclusions – The involvement of mental health service users in the research process is feasible both in quantitative and qualitative research studies. The involvement of service users in research has a number of benefits; such research requires more accurate planning and more time than the traditional research.Declaration of Interest: none.

Service users’ experiences of participation in clinical psychology training

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 337-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meadhbh Campbell ◽  
Charlotte Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Clinical Psychology ◽  
Service User ◽  
Psychology Training ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Clinical Psychology Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Psychology Course

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore mental health service users’ experiences of involvement in a clinical psychology course. Design/methodology/approach Five participants were recruited from a service user and carer group aligned to a university professional clinical psychology course. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and data were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings Four superordinate themes, group processes, advocating, transforming and power, were drawn from the data, with ten subthemes emerging capturing experiences on the personal, professional and group levels. Research limitations/implications The study is not generalisable and has a small number of participants. However, many of the themes have resonance with existing literature. Practical implications Service user initiatives need to consider the personal and contextual issues that service users may have experienced prior to their involvement. The needs of service user initiatives may change over time. Such initiatives must evolve in conjunction with the personal and political journeys of participants. Originality/value Few studies have explored the experiences of mental health service users in clinical psychology training using a robust methodology. The current study suggests that eliciting these experiences highlights factors that facilitate involvement as well as the barriers.

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