Mental health and work

1. Mental health and work Barrie Holt Dr Virginia Minogue

2. Why mental health and work • Most people with mental illness want to work • Barriers to work • Difficulties in maintaining employment • Role of health services • Service user involvement in research can empower, build skills etc.

3. Barriers • Benefits system • Lack of support • Care pathway • Lack of opportunities

4. Mental health and work project • Experiences of unemployment and employment • Barriers to employment • Issues and needs • Expert/User involvement in research

5. Presents

6. Mental Health and Work A Survey to Identify Experiences, Issues and Needs in Kirklees 2004

7. Conception of the Research Project-Why?(1) • People with mental health problems experience high unemployment, and those in employment who develop significant mental health problems often lose their jobs. • Being without employment is a prominent feature in being isolated and excluded from society.

8. Conception of the Research Project-Why?(2) • Other surveys and research projects in the UK have found that people with mental health problems face very pronounced difficulties obtaining and maintaining paid employment. • The Consortium for Employment, Recreation and Training (CERT) proposed this survey to identify employment experiences, issues and needs of working aged adults with mental health problems in South Kirklees.

9. Recruitment and Training of Researchers for the Team (1) • To complete the survey it was acknowledged that at least 6 interviewers would be needed, and that the interviewers recruited would possibly include mental health staff, and mental health service users. • Recruitment materials were disseminated through a variety of different sources including mental health services, Jobcentre Plus and disability employment advisors.

10. Recruitment and Training of Researchers for the Team (2) • 11 people were recruited as potential interviewers. • Those recruited then attended two training days, and had the opportunity to practice an interview and pilot the questionnaire. • After the training days two interviewers decided they no longer wanted to take part.

11. The Research Team • The Research Team consisted of: • A lead researcher. • A Making Space Development Worker. • 6 mental health service users. • 3 mental health staff (who only took part in the project as interviewers).

12. Payment • The intention to pay service users was decided at the conception of this survey, and was built into the funding application • Service users and were paid at an hourly rate for their input. • All payments were clarified via Jobcentre plus so as not to compromise people’s benefits.

13. SHRINK (i) • User Involvement increased over the lifetime of the research project, as 5 service user members of the research team took on more responsibility. • Users involved themselves in all aspects of the project including: interviewing, data inputting and analysis, the steering group, writing and preparation of the final report and presentation of the findings.

14. SHRINK (ii) • To acknowledge the extent of service user involvement it was decided that the research team should be named. • Hence SHRINK (Social and Human Research in Kirklees) was born.

15. Outcomes of Research Team Members (i) • Mental health service user members of the research team believed there were real benefits for them as a result of being involved on the research project, quotes included: • “I feel I gained confidence from being given the responsibility.” • “It has helped me gain confidence in my own abilities and feeling that my opinion matters.”

16. Outcomes of Research Team Members (ii) • Following the project: • Two service user researchers have gained paid employment. • Two are now engaged in work experience placements

17. Observed Benefits of User Involvement (i) • As a consequence of user involvement members of the research team observed real benefits for those interviewed, quotes included: • “I believe that people I interviewed were more at ease once I explained my position, maybe because they subsequently did not see me as an authority figure.”

18. Observed Benefits of User Involvement (ii) • “During the interview process, I found that interviewees were more relaxed and forthcoming when informed that I was also a service user, and had similar experiences to them.”

19. Benefits of User Involvement in Mental Health Research • An empathetic research team • An increase in confidence and self esteem for those involved as researchers. • A research team who have a vested interest and care about the outcomes.

20. Topics for discussion • Can health services do more to help service users/patients overcome the barriers to employment? • How can service user involvement in service development and research assist/take this forward?