Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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You need to have been there
- Author:
- NELSON Sarah
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, July 2007, pp.37-39.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
The voluntary sector organisation Depression Alliance Scotland (DAS) was granted research funding from the Scottish Executive's National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being for a study of self-help groups. The research aimed to explore the ways in which self help groups contribute best to recovery and to maintain good health. In the study questionnaire data were gained from 20 current DAS group attenders, and these were amalgameted with data from previous DAS surveys.
Peer support: the help users of mental health services offer each other (the views of 81 people on peer support)
- Author:
- HIGHLAND USERS GROUP
- Publisher:
- Highland Users Group
- Publication year:
- 2008
- Pagination:
- 20p.
- Place of publication:
- Inverness
In 2007 HUG (the Highland Users Group, a network of people who use, or have used, mental health services in the Highlands) decided to look at the idea of peer support in detail; both to explore the idea that people have a lot to offer each other an d also to find out from the members of HUG what sort of service, if any, they would like to see established in the Highlands. Discussion were held in HUG's 13 branches about these ideas using a series of prompts for conversation. These discussions were written up and then turned into this report. In total eighty one people were involved in the meetings. Most people, whilst being very aware of the support people can offer each other, had little or no knowledge of the peer support projects that already exist and so these discussions were based around the basic issues that need to underlie the development of these sort of services.
Peer support among consumers of professional mental health services: implications for practice, policy, and research
- Author:
- HODGES John Q.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 14(3), 2006, pp.81-92.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Peer support services are increasingly common in mental health, with consumers delivering many services once provided by professional mental health workers. It is important that social workers recognise this key asset in the mental health service consumer’s environment. This study examines differences among 311 consumers of mental health services, half of whom also used peer support services. The peer support users and non-users are compared in terms of their utilisation of, and satisfaction with, professional mental health services. The findings show that users of peer support services perceive greater availability of professional services and use them more, but find them to be less useful than those not participating in peer support. However, no differences between the two groups were found in respect of overall satisfaction with professional services. The implications for policy, practice and research are discussed. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
The voices don't like it...
- Authors:
- MEDDINGS Sara, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, September 2006, pp.26-30.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Attending a hearing voices group can make a measurable difference to people's lives. This article reports on an evaluation of one hearing voices group in Sussex. Evaluation measures used included an impact of voices questionnaire, consumer constructed empowerment scale, Rosenberg's self-esteem scale, Personal constructs scale - what people wanted to get from the group, and satisfaction with the group.
Does additional care provided by a consumer self-help group improve psychiatric outcome? A study in an Italian community-based psychiatric service
- Authors:
- BURTI Lorenzo, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 41(6), December 2005, pp.705-720.
- Publisher:
- Springer
This study compares the two-year clinical and social outcome, the use of services and the direct costs of patients of the South-Verona Community Psychiatric Service who were members of a self-help group, with those who were not. Use of services and costs in the two years before the baseline were compared with those occurring two years after the baseline. Self-help subjects decreased their use of hospital stay as to number of admissions and days in hospital, with a reduction of costs; they were more satisfied as to work/education while non self-help matches presented an increase of unmet needs. Clinical and social outcome showed no significant difference. The findings suggest that consumer participation may possibly enhance the effects of psychiatric treatment on outcome.
How do we treat unhappiness
- Authors:
- MAXWELL Margaret, McCOLLAM Allyson, HALLIDAY Emma
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, March 2005, pp.26-28.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Reports findings of a study that explored how people experiencing common mental health problems understand self-help and use it as a coping strategy. The study focused on capacity for the development of self-help within primary care to address mental health needs. The 18-month qualitative study was undertaken in two local health co-operatives (LHCCs) within one primary care trust in Scotland. Individual interviews and multi-disciplinary discussions were conducted with staff, and 34 service users were also recruited for in-depth interviews to explore their views, needs, and how these needs were being met. Findings suggest that improving primary care responses for people with common mental health problems should increase the availability of social support, particularly for those people who are isolated.
Geographies of exclusion
- Authors:
- PHILO Chris, PARR Hester, BURNS Nicola
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, May 2004, pp.20-23.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
For people living in Scotland's remote and rural Highlands, user networks and drop-ins offer a vital space of safety and community. Reports on a two year research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council into 'social geographies of rural mental health'. The study interviewed 107 service users, 44 mental health service providers and 17 carers, and surveyed 229 Highland GPs by postal questionnaire. In addition ten focus groups were held with members of the Highland User Group (HUG). Reports some of the key findings with regard to exclusion, stigma and the role of these voluntary sector support services in offering an alternative, safe 'community' to people with mental health problems.
The road to recovery
- Author:
- WALLCRAFT Jan
- Journal article citation:
- Care and Health Magazine, 37, 4.6.03, 2003, pp.21-22.
- Publisher:
- Care and Health
The author from the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health examines how mental health users are leading the way in providing self help services for themselves.
Developing an evaluation framework: the Mellow experience
- Author:
- GRIFFITHS Sandra
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 2(2), July 2003, pp.22-28.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
The Mellow Campaign, launched in October 2000, is a project which aims to address the factors that influence the mental health of young African and Caribbean men and their experience of mental health services and to develop alternative responses to mental distress among this target group. Mellow activities cover a wide range of interventions including public events, theatre, arts, personal development, employment opportunities awareness raising and partnership development across agencies. Mellow commissioned the mental health charity Mentality to work with them to develop an evaluation framework capable of capturing the impact and influence of its activities over the past two years and to assess the extent to which it has been successful in achieving its aims. The evaluation included face to face interviews and telephone interviews with Mellow staff and key stakeholders. Focus groups were also used to consult with users, and a 22 users were interviewed. This article looks at the processes involved and highlights some of the findings and their implications of thinking differently about how to measure the success of community initiatives.
Recovery, self management and the expert patient: changing the culture of mental health from a UK perspective
- Author:
- DAVIDSON Laurie
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 14(1), February 2005, pp.25-35.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Self management approaches with mental health problems have been developing recently through condition-specific courses, e.g., the Manic Depression Fellowship Course, Rethink Self Management Course and generic courses, e.g., the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) and the Expert Patient Programme. These approaches have been service user led and developed and are now beginning to be taken seriously by mental health professionals. The aim was to trace the development of recovery and self management approaches in the UK and abroad and to explore whether self management models transferred from physical health are helpful for mental health. Programmes for recovery derived from physical illnesses cannot be implemented in mental health without some changes and disorder specific self management programmes are complementary rather than alternatives. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. In particular, models which are professionally led are not only less attractive to service users but also seem to “lend responsibility” rather than sharing it. Self management models derived from a recovery model and service users' experiences may have more value than models derived from physical health.