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From structural chaos to a model of consumer support: understanding the roles of structure and agency in mental health recovery for the formerly homeless
- Author:
- WATSON Dennis P.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, 12(4), July 2012, pp.325-348.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia
The deinstitutionalisation approach to mental health services has shifted the focus in mental health care from provider-guided treatment to consumer-centred recovery. This study seeks to develop a deeper understanding of the effect that the organisation of mental health services offered in community settings has on the recovery process. This is done by the analysis of focus group and interview data collected from consumers and staff at four housing programmes serving formerly homeless individuals with dual diagnosis. There were a total of sixty participants. Findings are presented as a series of vignettes. The author concludes that the findings highlight the importance of understanding the connection that exists between social structure and personal agency and the recovery process.
The anomalies of evidence-based medicine in psychiatry: time to rethink the basis of mental health practice
- Authors:
- THOMAS Philip, BRACKEN Pat, TIMIMI Sami
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Review Journal, 17(3), 2012, pp.152-162.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) in clinical practice has delivered major improvements in the outcome of care in medicine and surgery. However, its value in psychiatry is less clear. This paper examines its value by subjecting empirical evidence from EBM to a conceptual analysis using the philosophy of Thomas Kuhn. The authors examine evidence drawn from meta-analyses of RCTs investigating the efficacy of specific treatments for depression in the form of antidepressant drugs and CBT. This shows that the non-specific aspects of treatment, the placebo effect and the quality of the therapeutic alliance as seen by the patient, are more important in determining outcome than the specific elements. Using the philosophy of Thomas Kuhn, it is shown that these non-specific and non-technical elements are anomalies that indicate that the technological paradigm in the treatment of depression is fundamentally flawed. The authors concluded that non-specific elements of mental health care are essential in fostering hope, trust and meaning. They constitute non-technical factors that are central to the concept of caring, and vital for recovery, and which resonate strongly with the growth of survivor and user-led systems of support for people who experience distress.
Supporting recovery in mental health
- Author:
- NHS CONFEDERATION. Mental Health Network
- Publisher:
- NHS Confederation. Mental Health Network
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 8p.
- Place of publication:
- London
In mental health, recovery means the process through which people find ways of living meaningful lives with or without ongoing symptoms of their condition. The Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change project is a new approach to helping people with mental health problems that aims to change how the NHS and its partners operates so that they can focus more on helping those people with their recovery. The Department of Health commissioned the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network and the Centre for Mental Health to pilot this major national project involving 29 mental health provider sites from April 2010. This Briefing details the interim findings of the project. Users of mental health services have identified three key principles: the continuing presence of hope that it is possible to pursue one’s personal goals and ambitions; the need to maintain a sense of control over one’s life and one’s symptoms; and the importance of having the opportunity to build a life beyond illness.
The making of a film about recovery
- Authors:
- CARSON Jerome, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 16(2), 2012, pp.72-78.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The Recovery Film, a 20 minute film about recovery directed and edited by someone who has lived experience of mental health problems and featuring only service users, was launched in 2011. It was funded by the charitable trustees of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. This article explains how the film came about and describes the process of making it. A number of service users were auditioned for the film and four were chosen to participate. The article illustrates the main themes from the film, with quotations from participants to illustrate the narrative: the experience of being mentally ill, what caused mental illness, what recovery is, what helped people, and the process of recovery. The film is available on the internet http://www.slam.nhs.uk/patients/recovery.aspx www.slam.nhs.uk/patients/recovery.aspx (Edited publisher abstract)
Social factors and recovery from mental health difficulties: a review of the evidence
- Authors:
- TEW Jerry, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 42(3), 2012, pp.443-460.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This paper reviews the international literature on the role of social factors on the onset of mental health difficulties, with specific regard to the United Kingdom. Findings are explored in detail in relation to three areas that had been identified by the wider review as central to recovery: empowerment and control over one's life; inter-personal relationships and social inclusion; and rebuilding positive identities within the context of stigma and discrimination. The authors concluded that a clearer picture of the importance of particular social factors emerge, which defines a broad-based and proactive agenda for mental health social work, with an emphasis not just on working with individuals, but also on engaging with families and communities. However, there is a need for further research in order to determine how to apply interventions most effectively.
Community mental health: challenges for the 21st century
- Authors:
- ROSENBERG Jessica, ROSENBERG Samuel
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 344p.
- Place of publication:
- Abingdon
- Edition:
- 2nd ed.
The editors draw together experts from a wide range of professions; social work, nursing, psychology, psychiatry, public health, sociology, and law, who explore the major trends, best practices, and policy issues currently shaping community mental health services. As each topic is discussed the focus moves from management to recovery in the treatment of chronically mentally ill patients. Organisational and policy issues are discussed to provide students with an understanding of the overarching factors that shape their field. The book is divided into six main sections: from stigma to recovery; emerging trends in community mental health; community mental health across the life cycle; diversity; best practice; and organisational and policy issues. The coverage is broad including; evidence-based treatments; neuropsychiatric perspectives, and substance abuse. New chapters in this second edition cover a variety of special populations such as; returning veterans, military families and families of the mentally ill, people affected by the "Great Recession", teenagers, children, and the homeless. A collection of supplemental resources is available online. PowerPoint slides and test banks are provider for teachers and students can access a library of learning activities, suggested readings and resources, and a glossary of key terms.
Stronger together
- Author:
- GLYN Jennifer
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, November 2012, pp.28-29.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
There are now more than 250 formal peer support worker positions in the UK. Peer support is central to the implementation of recovery-focused practice and it can inspire hope and empower others to take control of their own recovery. Peer support workers are required to explicitly draw on and share their own experiences of emotional distress, or of using mental health services, to inspire, support and inform people in a similar situation. This article describes the work of a peer support worker at Richmond Fellowship, a voluntary sector provider of mental health care, based in West Sussex. The peer support project model used by Richmond Fellowship is based on the delivery of 10 support sessions. During these visits, knowledge and expertise is shared, and relationships built on mutual trust. The peer workers also arrange regular meetings between themselves to support each other.
Supporting young people with mental health problems: lessons from a voluntary sector pilot
- Authors:
- THOMAS Nigel, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Review Journal, 17(1), 2012, pp.14-25.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The Uthink project was a pilot service run by the mental health charity Rethink in 3 areas of England between 2008 and 2010. The aim of the project was to deliver and test a range of activity-based programmes to promote positive mental health and recovery in young people aged 16-25 years. This paper describes an evaluation which aimed to understand the success of the project in the context of other local services. The study used multiple methods of data collection including observation, interview and group discussion with service providers and users in order to build a picture of the relationships between context, mechanism and outcome. The findings are discussed from the viewpoints of the different groups of participants: project workers; other professionals; and programme participants. In many respects the story they tell is a consistent one, with most of the participants finding that the work done by the project was a source of hope and potentially transformative. The most notable difference was the perception as to whether it complemented or challenged existing statutory services. The findings show that a recovery-based approach to providing services for young people has considerable potential and can provide an alternative to more conventional services.
Recovery: bringing service users in
- Authors:
- FOX Joanna, RAMON Shula
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work and Social Sciences Review, 14(3), 2012, pp.10-22.
- Publisher:
- Whiting and Birch
This article introduces the new meaning of recovery, and reflects on its potential to develop current thinking and practice in mental health with adults. It also explores the implications for service providers and service users, with regards to the UK government's policy to move disabled people, including mental health service users, from welfare back to work. The social and economic climate that drives this policy agenda, and the implications for society of the focus on employment, are presented. The article reflects on the role of work in supporting or hindering the recovery process and identities re-formation, in part through the experience of the first author. The article concludes by suggesting how practice can enable a process of returning to ordinary living, including employment, that supports recovery through a process of shared responsibilities.
Using digital technologies in community mental health: the example of 'Buddy'
- Authors:
- TREANOR Aisling, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work and Social Sciences Review, 14(3), 2012, pp.95-107.
- Publisher:
- Whiting and Birch
The Internet has become an arena in which people interact with others, engage and have experiences, and offers many possibilities for sharing personal views and emotions. Ultimately, it is a tool with never before seen potential. Using this technology, mental health professionals can provide evidence based interventions and prevention programs to a number of mentally ill and distressed persons. The following study explores the use of 'Buddy', an online mood monitoring service to determine whether self-reflection can help people with mental health problems understand the relationship between the things they do in their daily lives and their mental state and then endeavour to change their behaviour for the better. Data were drawn from the personal accounts of 12 service users with a self-reported history of mental health problems. Findings revealed that ‘Buddy’ was being used differently by each of the participants. However, the system encouraged users to self-help by sharing their experiences. The paper ends with a discussion of the positive and negative issues highlighted by the study, and implications for future research and practice presented.