The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

Kirton, Charlotte; Lambert, Nicky; Matheson, Helen; Connell, Sandra

2018 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jmhtep-12-2016-0061

The Trainee Mental Health Worker (TMHW) Programme is an initiative developed collaboratively between Middlesex University and local NHS Mental Health Trusts in response to national workforce requirements for flexible clinical personnel. The purpose of this paper is to explore the experience of this new category of mental health workers and to address the feedback given by previous cohorts of TMHWs.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study comprised of three focus groups who met over their year-long training. In total, 20 participants self-selected from a population of 60 TMHWs, and their expectations of the TMHW role prior to starting the programme and following each of two practice placements were explored.FindingsThe thematic analysis identified five domains: identity, career strategy, functioning in the system, status and responsibility; the TMHWs demonstrated notable changes in their attitude and behaviour as they progressed. The findings demonstrate the challenges of integrating a new type of workforce into the rigid systems of the health care service.Research limitations/implicationsFocus groups by their nature are not always representative, and this programme is limited in its number of students.Practical implicationsThis study has led to a greater understanding of the experiences of trainees across a variety of clinical settings.Social implicationsThe results from this study will assist employing trusts in recruitment and retention by helping them to understand this phenomenon and the role itself.Originality/valueThis study’s value lies in the insight it offers into the experience of a new kind of worker moving from novice status to practitioner outside the constraint of a professional registration.

McDonald, Sarah; Bertram, Mark

2018 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/JMHTEP-11-2017-0062

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore and describe the effectiveness, achievements and challenges of a job creation project that was developed with people in contact with forensic mental health services.Design/methodology/approachThis evaluation (case study) used a mixed methods approach: a range of quantitative and qualitative data were gathered, analysed and interpreted.FindingsThere were economic and health benefits. The income generation was sufficient to fund a large chunk of the projects operating costs. Service users reported improvements in mental health, wellbeing, confidence, skill development and earning capacity.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size was too small to be generalised and no validated measures were used. Further research is required into the long-term benefits of job creation in mental health services and providing a continuum of employment support.Practical implicationsA range of commercial activity can form the basis for job creation and work training projects in mental health services. Substantial operating costs can be generated, to re-invest in job creation/enterprises.Social implicationsSocial value can be enhanced within NHS public sector procurement procedures. Agreement between a range of internal NHS departments is necessary: finance, commercial, estates and facilities, and procurement.Originality/valuePublic sector procurement has the potential to act as a catalyst to support the inclusion agenda by funding commercial activity that job creation projects can undertake.

Jensen, Anita

2018 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jmhtep-08-2017-0048

Arts and cultural activities have been illustrated to be beneficial for mental health service users. The purpose of this paper is to explore the benefits of museum visits and engage in arts activities for mental health service users.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 mental health service users in Denmark. A thematic approach was used to analyse the data and theoretical lens of sociological theories of institutional logics was employed to explore the findings.FindingsThese benefits are perceived to include empowerment and meaning in life, which are two of the core principles of recovery; arts engagement can, therefore, be a useful tool in recovery. The findings also show that the experience of visiting a museum was not always positive and depended upon the interaction with the museum educators.Originality/valueThe service users identified arts engagement as creating meaning in life and empowerment, which are two element in the conceptual framework, CHIME (an acronym for: Connectedness, Hope and optimism, Identity, Meaning in life and Empowerment), that describes the human process of recovery. The findings also highlighted that if museums want to engage positively with people with mental health problems and contribute to their recovery then the training of staff and the improvement of institutional approaches to support working with vulnerable people are essential.

Sinclair, Aimee

2018 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/JMHTEP-06-2017-0042

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the sanist microaggressions that peer workers face working in mental health and proposes ways in which peer workers and institutions may begin to challenge sanist practices within the sector.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is written as a personal narrative. It explores a “moment” in the life of the author as a peer support worker.FindingsPeer workers are often faced with sanist microaggressions on the job which can significantly affect peer workers’ capacity over time. Sharing our stories, identifying points of resistance and working collectively to challenge microaggressions are important to peer worker survival within the mental health system. Organisations that train or employ peer workers should be aware of sanist microaggressions and learn how to strategically respond to them.Originality/valueThe paper documents the experiences of the author. There is limited academic literature documenting peer worker experience of microaggressions.

Cosgrave, Catherine; Maple, Myfanwy; Hussain, Rafat

2018 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jmhtep-02-2017-0008

Some of Australia’s most severe and protracted workforce shortages are in public sector community mental health (CMH) services. Research identifying the factors affecting staff turnover of this workforce has been limited. The purpose of this paper is to identify work factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career health professionals working in rural Australia’s public sector CMH services.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 25 health professionals working in rural and remote CMH services in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, for NSW Health participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews.FindingsThe study identified five work-related challenges negatively affecting job satisfaction: developing a profession-specific identity; providing quality multidisciplinary care; working in a resource-constrained service environment; working with a demanding client group; and managing personal and professional boundaries.Practical implicationsThese findings highlight the need to provide time-critical supports to address the challenges facing rural-based CMH professionals in their early career years in order to maximise job satisfaction and reduce avoidable turnover.Originality/valueOverall, the study found that the factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career rural-based CMH professionals affects all professionals working in rural CMH, and these negative effects increase with service remoteness. For those in early career, having to simultaneously deal with significant rural health and sector-specific constraints and professional challenges has a negative multiplier effect on their job satisfaction. It is this phenomenon that likely explains the high levels of job dissatisfaction and turnover found among Australia’s rural-based early career CMH professionals. By understanding these multiple and simultaneous pressures on rural-based early career CMH professionals, public health services and governments involved in addressing rural mental health workforce issues will be better able to identify and implement time-critical supports for this cohort of workers. These findings and proposed strategies potentially have relevance beyond Australia’s rural CMH workforce to Australia’s broader early career nursing and allied health rural workforce as well as internationally for other countries that have a similar physical geography and health system.

Alexander, Louise; Sheen, Jade; Rinehart, Nicole; Hay, Margaret; Boyd, Lee

2018 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jmhtep-02-2017-0006

This critical review of historical and contemporary literature explores the role of television media in the prevalence of stigma towards persons experiencing a mental health challenge. In addition to this, the purpose of this paper is to examine the notion of perceived dangerousness, which is a concept where persons with mental illness are thought by others to be inherently dangerous.Design/methodology/approachA vigorous search of databases was undertaken for articles published between 2000 and 2016. Some seminal literature prior to 2000 was used to compare historical data with current literature. In total, 1,037 publications were reviewed against inclusion criteria.FindingsWhile mental illness stigma has received much attention in the literature, television media and public perceptions of dangerousness have not. While these concepts are complex and multi-factorial, what we do understand is that approaches to address stigma have been largely unsuccessful, and that persons experiencing mental health challenges continue to be significantly disadvantaged.Practical implicationsImplications to practice for clinicians working in mental health on this issue have not been adequately explored within the literature. While media guidelines assist journalists to make informed choices when they portray mental health issues in television news, there are no such guidelines to inform drama television viewing.Originality/valueSignificantly, television’s role in perpetuation of perceptions of dangerousness has not been adequately explored as a combined co-occurring factor associated with the stigmatisation and avoidance of persons experiencing a mental health challenge. In an era when mental health challenges are on the rise, it is of great importance that we collectively seek to minimise negative impacts and improve the experiences of those with a mental health challenge through addressing stigma both individually and in television media.