Category Archives: Psychiatry

Reviews, research and updates from the field of Psychiatry

Focus Group Recruitment- African-Caribbean older adults

Depression is up to 60% higher in people from ethnic minorities than white people. There is also variation in the healthcare management of mental health conditions according to an individual’s ethnic background. The extent to which variation in access to treatment options for mental health conditions impacts on quality of life is not well understood. Therefore, the aim of the focus group is to explore the perspectives of Afro-Caribbean people with a mental health diagnosis on access and delivery of care.

There is research looking to recruit 10 people of African or Caribbean descent with a mental health diagnosis (and carers of those with a mental health diagnosis (who themselves are Afro-Caribbean)) and are over the age of 50 to explore their perspectives on the care and access they received.

Participants will be involved in a 90-minute online focus group via Microsoft teams and will be reimbursed for their time. See poster below.

The group will be facilitated by Rhian Milton-Cole, a PhD Candidate at King’s College London. During the session she will ask questions relating to the patient’s experience of seeking support for their mental health conditions and any barriers they faced. Rhian will also ask about which treatment options were offered to them and if they found these acceptable and lastly if they believe the care offered to and received by Afro-Caribbean people is the same as the care given to and received by Caucasian people.

If interested please contact

Name: Rhian Milton-Cole
Email: Rhian.1.milton-cole@kcl.ac.uk

Exploring the barriers and facilitators to recovery for South Asian service users 

Nafisah Nabi a PhD student at the University of Mancheste is working on a PhD research project focuses on exploring the barriers and facilitators to recovery for South Asian service users within IAPT services. Nafisah is looking to recruit a Patient and Public Involvement Group who can offer feedback on research plans and study materials.

Please see the poster below. You can contact Nalisah at nafisah.nabi@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

Experiences of holistic care at the Lambeth clozapine clinic research

Elizabeth Tuudah is looking for unpaid carers from the Maudsley for her PHD study. The study is to better understand your experiences of holistic care at the Maudsley clozapine clinic. Holistic care is care that addresses the whole person’s needs (e.g., mental and physical health) and involves different health professionals working together with you to provide person-centred care.

The experienced-based co-design (EBCD) approach involves bringing together service users, carers, and staff in a series of events to improve healthcare services. The EBCD approach has previously been used to redesign both mental health and diabetes services to improve service user and staff experiences.

Please see poster below.

Supporting informal carers of people with mental health problems during hospital discharge

Welcome fellow unpaid carers. I am involved in this exciting new study, where I feel it is very much needed to help shape mental health services. I hope members of my carer’s network or other carers who fit this role can also get involved.

We are looking for carers who support someone with mental health problems during hospital discharge. Please view the image below to get involved or email Dr Natasha Tyler via natasha.tyler@manchester.ac.uk

There is also more research carers can get involved in. This involves carers of adolescents or CAMHs services. You can also email ioannis.angelakis@manchester.ac.uk

Research on identity of those who support someone in with a mental illness

A new research study by Cassie Lovelock will be looking into the identity of those who support someone in their life with a mental illness. Cassie is PhD student at the London School of Economics; before that she was a carer for her sister who lived with schizoaffective disorder.

The aim of her study is to learn in what ways supporting a person impacts a carer and their identity. As well as what their day to day supporting that person looks like. This will be done via an hour(ish) long interview with her via zoom or teams (or telephone if that is easier for the carer). It will take part at a time convenient for unpaid carers.

To take part the carer must be over the age of 18 and able to give informed consent. Unpaid Carers will be paid £30 for the interview – or thy can request a voucher to the same value.

If any carer other there is willing to make part – or would like more information before deciding please email Cassie on c.lovelock@lse.ac.uk or you can text/whatsapp her on 07429428992.

Research Study: Improving safety in community-based mental healthcare.

Hello fellow carers. I have exciting research news for you.

Phoebe Averill who is a PhD Student of the Health Service and Population Research Department from Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience. Is working on a research study about the safety of community-based mental health services. This is a nationwide research aimed at unpaid carers.

Please see below for details.

What is this study?

We are carrying out a study to find out about safety problems in community-based mental health services for adults. This research will help to increase awareness of the types of safety problems service users and carers experience in these services, as well as gathering ideas about how community mental healthcare could be made safer.

Taking part would involve participating in your choice of either a one-to-one interview, or a group discussion. Interviews or group discussions will be conducted remotely via a secure online platform (e.g. Zoom), and will last for up to one hour.

Who can take part?

We would like to speak to family members/ carers of adults who are using community-based mental health services. These include primary care (e.g. treatment and monitoring of a mental health condition by a GP), or secondary care mental health services (e.g. outpatient support from Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment team, or a Community Mental Health Team).

To take part, you must also be:

  • Over 18 years old.
  • Able to understand English sufficiently to take part in an interview or group discussion.
  • Able to provide informed consent.
  • Not currently using inpatient mental health services.

Who should I speak to if I am interested in taking part?

If you are interested in taking part, or would like more information, please contact Phoebe Averill at phoebe.averill@kcl.ac.uk.

Please note:

Carers will be offered a £15 shopping voucher in return for taking part.

Royal College of Psychiatrist Lived Experience project

The Royal College of Psychiatrists are collecting stories from people with lived experience of long term mental health conditions. These stories will support the work of the Royal College of Psychiatrist’s Faculty of Rehabilitation & Social Psychiatry. The Faculty is made up of psychiatrists, service users and carer representatives with experience of psychiatric rehabilitation services. The Royal College of Psychiatrist want to understand and represent such experiences.

You can download the Lived experienced submission form in the link below.

rcp-rse-stories-of-lived-exp-form-final-kpDownload

Some of the stories collected will be placed on the Royal College of Psychiatrist Faculty website.  They may also use them in future reports and campaigns.

The Royal College of Psychiatrist appreciate that sharing your story with others can be difficult; you may need support from carers or the individual who has invited you to participate.

Taking part in their project is entirely voluntary, and stories will be anonymised.

Patients and carers with lived experience are leading on this project.

Any queries about the project please email stella.galea@rcpsych.ac.uk.