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Debt collection and mental health: the evidence report: research findings from a national survey of 1270 frontline staff working in creditor and debt collection agencies
- Authors:
- DAVEY Ryan, FITCH Chris
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists; Money Advice Trust
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 86p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This report presents the findings from research on the experience and views of UK creditor staff on working with indebted customers who report a mental health problem. The report comprises 3 parts; part 1 outlines a business case explaining why creditors should take mental health fully into account, part 2 addresses key areas of frontline debt collection that are relevant to the treatment of customers with mental health problems, and part 3 looks at the specialist teams who deal with customers in complex or sensitive circumstances. The study comprised an anonymous survey of 1270 frontline collections staff working in 19 different creditor organisations. The survey asked collections staff about their experience of working with customers with a range of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dementia. The findings suggest that changes can be made to help frontline staff overcome the challenges they face, allow organisations to collect debt more effectively from this customer group, and also help improve the financial and mental wellbeing of the customer at a difficult time. Ten changes are identified which every creditor should consider making to their practice: dealing with disclosure; encouraging disclosure; including mental health in organisational policies; giving staff the skills to deliver these policies; making informed consent a ‘standard practice’; using specialist team or staff members; improving monitoring; using medical evidence to aid decision-making; working with third parties; and focusing on sustainability and quality.
Debt collection and mental health: ten steps to improve recovery: a briefing for creditors and debt collection agencies based on a national survey of 1270 frontline collections staff
- Authors:
- FITCH Chris, DAVEY Ryan
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists; Money Advice Trust
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 19p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This summary report presents the findings from research on the experience and views of UK creditor staff on working with indebted customers who report a mental health problem. It outlines a business case explaining why creditors should take mental health fully into account. The study comprised an anonymous survey of 1270 frontline collections staff working in 19 different creditor organisations. The survey asked collections staff about their experience of working with customers with a range of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dementia. The findings suggest that changes can be made to help frontline staff overcome the challenges they face, allow organisations to collect debt more effectively from this customer group, and also help improve the financial and mental wellbeing of the customer at a difficult time. Ten changes are identified which every creditor should consider making to their practice: dealing with disclosure; encouraging disclosure; including mental health in organisational policies; giving staff the skills to deliver these policies; making informed consent a ‘standard practice’; using specialist team or staff members; improving monitoring; using medical evidence to aid decision-making; working with third parties; and focusing on sustainability and quality.
Fair deal for mental health: our manifesto for a 3 year campaign dedicated to tackling inequality in mental healthcare
- Authors:
- FITCH Chris, et al
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Publication year:
- 2008
- Pagination:
- 55p.
- Place of publication:
- London
One in four older people living in the community have symptoms of depression severe enough to warrant help, but only half are diagnosed and treated. A third of substance misuse patients with mental health needs do not receive any interventions. It also shows that many inpatients stay in hospital for months without needing to be there while they wait for transfer to local authority accommodation. And mental health research receives 6.5% of total research funding, compared with 25% for research into cancer and 15% for neurological diseases.
Debt and mental health: what do we know? what should we do?
- Authors:
- FITCH Chris, et al
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 25p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Recently, the relationship between the economic downturn and mental health has become the subject of debate. This literature review published by the Royal College of Psychiatry, The Money Advice Trust, the Finance and Leasing Association and Rethink shows that while there is no conclusive evidence that there is a link between debt and mental illness, the authors are of the opinion that people with debt are more likely to have a mental health disorder. This report found that people with mental health problems often do not seek help with their financial problems, and people with debts routinely hide the fact that they have a mental health problem from their creditors because of embarrassment or because they think that they will not be believed. These findings, made on the basis of a review of 54 papers, from 52 separate studies, on the subject, found evidence of a link between debt and mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. This report states that worry or concern about debt can have an equal or larger impact on mental health rather than the actual amount of money owed, and that there may be a relationship between indebtedness and self harm/suicide.