scholarly journals ‘Help is at Hand’ on the web – what do our readers think?

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Timms ◽  
Deborah Hart ◽  
Alexandra Cohen ◽  
Martin Briscoe ◽  
Mike McClure
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Public Education ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Service Users ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Current Health ◽  
Mental Health Information ◽  
The Web

Aims and MethodTo describe the development of public education materials provided by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the ‘Help is at Hand’ series of leaflets, and to assess the acceptability and usefulness of information about mental health on the College website by analysis of the online responses of those accessing this information.ResultsMore than 4000 responses to 14 of the ‘Help is at Hand’ leaflets were analysed. Ratings were generally high, with the exception of the statement ‘This leaflet talks down to me’. Free text responses were generally positive.Clinical ImplicationsThe College website is an accessible source of high-quality mental health information of the sort demanded by both service users and current health policy.

scholarly journals Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Qualitative Experiences of Social Media Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Trans-National Sample

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Schoultz Mariyana ◽  
Leung Janni ◽  
Bonsaksen Tore ◽  
Ruffolo Mary ◽  
Thygesen Hilde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Study ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information ◽  
The Uk

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and as a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the qualitative experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter-in-place during the current pandemic. Methods: This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, the UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The manuscript reports on the qualitative free-text component of the study asking about the challenges of social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, USA and Australia. A total of 1991 responses were included in the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results: Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions which were difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning, which was positive and stressful at the same time. Conclusion: Using social media while in a shelter-in-place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of some of the population. To support policy and practice in strengthening mental health care in the community, social media could be used to deliver practical advice on coping and stress management. Communication with the public should be strengthened by unambiguous and clear messages and clear communication pathways. We should be looking at alternative ways of staying connected.

scholarly journals Service innovations

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 428-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Hayward ◽  
Steve West ◽  
Moira Green ◽  
Alison Blank
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Considerable Confusion ◽  
Staff Recruitment ◽  
And Training

Health policy guidelines state that people who use mental health services should be involved in the development of the services they receive (Department of Health, 1999). Examples of good practice in this respect are reported from staff recruitment (Diamond et al, 2003), research (Trivedi & Wykes, 2002) and training (Repper, 2000; Harper, 2003). However, support for user involvement is not universal (Summers, 2003; Soffe, 2004) and, most significantly, there is considerable confusion about what is meant by involvement. The following case study will address these issues by: (a) adding to the evidence regarding the successful involvement of service users in training; and (b) clarifying the process by which involvement can be safely achieved.

scholarly journals Could the Tree of Life Model Be a Useful Approach for UK Mental Health Contexts?

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-70
Author(s):  
Sophie Parham ◽  
Jeyda Ibrahim ◽  
Kate Foxwell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
Group Processes ◽  
Tree Of Life ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Personal Recovery ◽  
Life Model

Some suggest the ethos of the Tree of Life (ToL) group aligns with the concept of “personal-recovery” promoted in mental health policy. Thus, it is claimed that the group could be a useful approach within UK mental health services. This review collated 14 papers to explore whether existing literature regarding the ToL group supports this assertion. The papers were synthesized using the thematic analysis method and three broad themes were identified, which support the argument for its utility within services. These were recovery-aligned themes, the inclusivity of the model, and group processes relevant to mental health contexts. The papers are critically appraised, key concerns regarding the wider literature discussed, and clinical implications summarized.

scholarly journals Measuring therapeutic engagement in acute mental health inpatient environments: the perspectives of service users and mental health nurses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Chambers ◽  
Sue McAndrew ◽  
Fiona Nolan ◽  
Benjamin Thomas ◽  
Paul Watts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Clinical Supervision ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Mental Health Nursing ◽  
Mental Health Nurses ◽  
Therapeutic Engagement ◽  
Free Text Response ◽  
Health Nursing

Abstract Background: A key component of caring for service users (SUs) in acute mental health inpatient environments is Therapeutic Engagement (TE). To that end, the Therapeutic Engagement Questionnaire (TEQ) was developed and validated. The TEQ measures TE between SUs and registered mental health nurses (RMHNs) from the perspective of both parties and can quantify and recognise how nurses engage with SUs and monitor this activity as well as its enhancement of SU care and recovery. The aim of this study was to explore the views of SUs and RMHNs in relation to the TEQ and how it could be adopted into clinical practice within an acute inpatient environment.Methods: As part of the validation stage of the development of the TEQ, the views of 628 SUs and 543 RMHNs were collected using a qualitative approach by way of free text at the end of the questionnaire. Two questions required free text response: – ‘what do you think of the TEQ?’, and ‘how can it be utilised?’Results: Following thematic analysis, it was found that both sets of participants stated that such a tool could be utilised to improve the service, could help nurses with reflective practice, be utilised as part of clinical supervision and to aid nurses’ professional development. The nurse participants also stated that such a tool would help track SU participation and enablement in their care. Furthermore, the nurses noted that the tool would help to reinforce the core ‘caring’ value of nursing and the overall goal of recovery. The SUs added that a TE tool would recognise the work of mental health nurses and provide them with a clear opportunity to express their views in relation to nursing staff.Conclusions: Therapeutic engagement (TE) has been identified as part of the repertoire of mental health nursing and both groups of participants identified how a tool to assess this construct may be utilised in day-to-day clinical practice to the benefit of each group.

scholarly journals Staff attitudes to smoking and the smoking ban

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 84-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kudlur Thyarappa Praveen ◽  
Swamy Nirvana Chandrappa Kudlur ◽  
Rudresh Paramishiyaiah Hanabe ◽  
Adeyemi Tiwalade Egbewunmi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Smoking Ban ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Staff Attitudes ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Smoking Policy ◽  
Psychiatric Units

Aims and MethodOur aim was to explore attitudes of in-patient mental health staff to smoking and the smoking ban. A questionnaire was distributed to staff (n=450) working at National Health Service psychiatric units in three different locations.ResultsWe obtained 308 responses, at a response rate of 68.4%. Staff were generally less permissive towards smoking in mental health units when compared with previous studies. However, most (78.9%) feared that service users' states would deteriorate if they were not allowed to smoke.Clinical ImplicationsWe found small but noticeable change in staff attitudes following initial reforms in smoking policy. However, there is a need for further significant change in staff attitudes to facilitate implementation of a total smoking ban from July 2008.

scholarly journals A Fuller Picture: Evaluating an Art Therapy Programme in a Multi-disciplinary Mental Health Service

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S612-S612
Author(s):  
H. Moss ◽  
C. Brady ◽  
B. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Art Therapy ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Therapy Programme

Art therapy has a long history in mental health care but requires an enhanced evidence based in order to better identify its precise role in contemporary services. This paper describes an evaluation of an art therapy programme in an acute adult psychiatry admission unit in Ireland. A mixed method research design was used. Quantitative data were collected through a survey of 35 staff members and 11 service-users. Qualitative data included free-text comments collected in the survey and individual feedback from service-users. Both methods aimed to assess the role of art therapy as part of a multidisciplinary mental health service. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyse qualitative data. Staff demonstrated overwhelming support for art therapy as one element within multidisciplinary services available to patients in the acute psychiatry setting, qualitative feedback associated art therapy with improvements in quality of life and individual support, and emphasised its role as a nonverbal intervention, especially useful for those who find talking therapy difficult. Creative self-expression is valued by staff and service-users as part of the recovery process. Recommendations arising from the research include continuing the art therapy service, expanding it to include rehabilitation patients, provision of information and education sessions to staff and further research to identify other potential long-term effects. The low response of staff and small sample in this study, however, must be noted as limitations to these findings.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Experiences of people seen in an acute hospital setting by liaison mental health services: responses from an online survey

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S346-S346
Author(s):  
Daniel Romeu ◽  
Elspeth Guthrie ◽  
Carolyn Czoski-Murray ◽  
Samuel Relton ◽  
Andrew Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Acute Hospital ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Service Users

AimsRecently the NHS has expanded the provision of liaison mental health services (LMHS) to ensure that every acute hospital with an emergency department in England has a liaison psychiatry service. Little work has been undertaken to explore first-hand experiences of these services. The aim of this study was to capture service users’ experiences of LMHS in both emergency departments and acute inpatient wards in the UK, with a view to adapt services to better meet the needs of its users.MethodThis cross-sectional internet survey was initially advertised from May-July 2017 using the social media platform Facebook. Due to a paucity of male respondents, it was re-run from November 2017-February 2018, specifically targeting this demographic group. 184 people responded to the survey, of which 147 were service users and 37 were service users’ accompanying partners, friends or family members. The survey featured a structured questionnaire divided into three categories: the profile of the respondent, perceived professionalism of LMHS, and overall opinion of the service. Space was available for free-text comments in each section. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data was undertaken with R statistical software V.3.2.2. Qualitative data from free-text comments were transcribed and interpreted independently by three researchers using framework analysis; familiarisation with the data was followed by identification of a thematic framework, indexing, charting, mapping and interpretation.ResultOpinions of the service were mixed but predominantly negative. 31% of service users and 27% of their loved ones found their overall contact with LMHS useful. Features most frequently identified as important were the provision of a 24/7 service, assessment by a variety of healthcare professionals and national standardisation of services. Respondents indicated that the least important feature was the provision of a separate service for older people. They also expressed that a desirable LMHS would include faster assessments following referral from the parent team, clearer communication about next steps and greater knowledge of local services and third sector organisations.ConclusionOur survey identified mixed responses, however service users and their loved ones perceived LMHS more frequently as negative than positive. This may be attributed to the recent governmental drive to assess, treat and discharge 95% of all patients seen in emergency departments within four hours of initial attendance. Additionally, dissatisfied service users are more likely to volunteer their opinions. The evaluation and adaptation of LMHS should be prioritised to enhance their inherent therapeutic value and improve engagement with treatment and future psychiatric care.

scholarly journals Psychosocial research with children in Iraq: current health practice and policy in a context of armed conflict

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 72-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Kareem Al Obaidi ◽  
Tim Corcoran ◽  
Leslie Scarth
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Psychosocial Issues ◽  
Culturally Appropriate ◽  
Population Parameters ◽  
Health Practice ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Current Health ◽  
Research With Children

There is a need to show how psychosocial issues affect children in conflict areas like Iraq. Raising knowledge and awareness of children's mental health status in Iraq has been difficult and the knowledge base has been limited by the shortage of resources, international sanctions and the isolation of Iraqi scholars. Many obstacles to research in Iraq exist but an agenda should be developed emphasising the need for high-quality contextualised psychosocial research. Health researchers in the country need to clarify basic population parameters and to provide culturally appropriate, evidence-based interventions for practitioners.

scholarly journals Experience of support time and recovery workers in promoting WRAP

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 279-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Hill ◽  
Glenn Roberts ◽  
Wilson Igbrude
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Ongoing Training ◽  
Support Time

Aims and methodSupporting self-management is a core ambition of progressive mental health services, but little is known about how to achieve this. Support time and recovery (STaR) workers are routinely taught the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP). This study explores their capacity to support self-management using WRAP.ResultsThe audited STaR trainees had introduced an average of nine service users each to WRAP. There was a trend for those with personal experience of mental illness to introduce more clients to WRAP and even more so for those who had used WRAP themselves. Qualitative analysis suggested a range of factors that may mediate whether people engage with self-management or not.Clinical implicationsThe capacity of STaR workers and others to support people in self-management may depend on more than knowledge of self-management methods and having personal experience of mental health problems and services. Important factors may also include specific experience of the methods introduced, ongoing training, accountability and supervision.

scholarly journals Patient information on schizophrenia on the internet

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 409-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola J. Kalk ◽  
David D. Pothier
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Patient Information ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Mental Health Information

Aims and MethodsThe internet is an important source of mental health information. Given variable literacy levels in the general public, patient information websites need to be easily readable to prevent misunderstanding and consequent misinformation about mental health problems being propagated. the aim was to ascertain the readability of websites containing patient information about schizophrenia. Twenty websites containing patient information about schizophrenia generated by Google® were analysed for Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level.ResultsAccording to standardised Flesch Reading Ease classification, 40% of the selected sites were classified as very difficult, 55% as difficult and 5% as fairly difficult. None were considered easy to read. There was a negative correlation of 70.798 (P < 0.001) between Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, which demonstrates the reliability of these results.Clinical ImplicationsEasily accessed schizophrenia information websites do not score highly for readability. Those that produce websites should bear readability in mind when writing them in order to construct more readable sites. Ideally, these should be accredited by recognised organisations that evaluate readability. Clinicians should assess website information for readability before recommending them to patients or carers.

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