The project aimed to develop and test a tool (or instrument) that will help identify when a person experiencing mental distress might benefit from support via a community-based intervention and what sort of support they might need most at the current time. This stage of funding focused on developing and testing an initial model of the tool in questionnaire format.
Background
Economic, social and environmental factors (wider determinants) can negatively affect our mental health. When poor mental health is caused or exacerbated by wider determinants, medicalised approaches (e.g. treating symptoms though medication or talking therapies) may not always be appropriate as these interventions may not address underlying issues. This may result in symptoms persisting and/or becoming more severe over time, or alternatively, a cycle of recovery, relapse and reoccurrence.
Community-based interventions offer people practical solutions and support to tackle economic, social and environmental issues. In addition, community-based services may be more accessible for groups of people at higher risk of experiencing mental distress or with unequal access to mental health care. Providing a tool to signpost people to the most appropriate community-based support for them can offer improved patient experience (e.g. receiving practical support/solutions, no side-effects, rapid entry into community-based interventions), prevent people being added to long waiting lists for mental health services or receiving unnecessary medication prescriptions, and improve patient outcomes. The tool will be developed in collaboration with community stakeholders including organisational representatives, charities and lived experience experts. There is also a potential cost saving through eased demand on NHS/mental health services due to reduced cases of relapse and reoccurrence.
Project Aims
The project aimed to develop an evidence-based signposting tool that will ask questions that relate to wider determinants of mental health that might negatively impact on a person’s mental health. These could be social e.g. family relationships, economic e.g. financial difficulties, or environmental e.g. housing. Based on a person’s responses, the tool identified the type of support that a person needs at the current time.
Project Activity
- Gathered and collated widest possible list of key words (“wider determinants”) from literature, providers, commissioners and experts by experience.
- Mapped key words against items from the Understanding Society questionnaires.
- Key words were sorted and categorised by stakeholders.
- Tested and refined categories using statistical analyses.
- Testing for validity of tool using Understanding Society dataset.
Anticipated or actual outputs
This stage of funding led to the development and testing of an initial model of the signposting tool in questionnaire format. There is the potential for the signposting tool to be embedded in a mental health referral platform/asset map allowing individuals to assess their needs and be signposted to appropriate services within the same website/online platform. The potential impact of this tool include improved mental health outcomes or prevention of poor mental health, reduced demand on GPs and mental health services, and increased funding for community-based services.
Papers and resources
Click to see link to survey, titled 'Understanding Society – The UK Household Longitudinal Study'
Who was involved?
PI: Prof. Susan McPherson (corresponding author), University of Essex
Researchers
- Dr Claire Wicks, University of Essex
- Dr Cara Booker, University of Essex
- Prof. Meena Kumari, University of Essex
- Dr Antonella Trotta, University of Essex
Contact
Susan McPherson, smcpher@essex.ac.uk
