Health, Community Care and Mental Health
Ongoing Work
Community Care
Deferred Payments in Care Homes
Contractor: RP & M associates
Due: April 2007
Contact: Tom Lamplugh [0131 244 3533]
The research will explore care home residents' and relatives' knowledge and experience of deferred payment arrangements for care home fees and identify whether uptake of such arrangements could be increased.
Adult Support and Protection Bill: Review of literature on effective interventions
Contractor: University of Staffordshire
Due: April 2007
Contact: Tom Lamplugh [0131 244 3533]
Review of available evidence on what works in relation to interventions to prevent and detect the abuse of vulnerable adults and help and support the victims of abuse.
Summary of evidence on long term health conditions
Contractor: University of Edinburgh
Due: April 2007
Contact: Tom Lamplugh [0131 244 3533]
This study will draw together information from the Scottish Household Survey and Scottish Health Survey on the demographic and social characteristics of people with long term health conditions.
HEALTH
Evaluation of Well Men Services Pilots
Contractor: Department of Public Health and Health Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen
Due: Summer 2007
Contact: Imelda Hametz [0131 244 3740]
This project explores the use and effectiveness of well men services pilots funded by SEHD in promoting healthier lifestyles; providing health assessment, advice and support; and effectively engaging men, particularly the hardest to reach due to social exclusion.
Mental health
National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-Being: Small Research Projects Initiative
Contact: Angela Hallam [0131 244 2813]
The initiative offers funding to small, innovative research projects able to demonstrate a contribution to advancing the agenda of the National Programme in its aims of promoting mental well-being for all, preventing mental health problems and illness - especially depression and the prevention of suicide - supporting improvements in the quality of life, social inclusion, equalities and rights for people experiencing mental health problems, and addressing inequalities in mental health. The initiative has now been run three times and the following projects are in progress; e.g.:
- Restart for recovery: an evaluation of the Restart employment project
- Pathways to work? Narrative experiences of people on health-related benefits
- Young people's views of mental health education in secondary schools
- Understanding stigma: young people's experiences of mental health stigma
- All projects will be completed by March 2008.
Effectiveness of interventions to prevent suicide and suicidal behaviour: a literature review
Contractors: Liverpool University and Infotech UK Research
Due: April 2007
Contact: Alison Stout [0131 244 5332]
The project aims to provide a comprehensive review of the available evidence on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing suicide and suicidal behaviour, both in key risk groups and in the general population.
Early Impact of all New Compulsory Powers under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment)(Scotland) Act 2003
Contractor: Dr Jacqueline Atkinson, Dept of Public Health, University of Glasgow
Due: May 2007
Contact: Jamie Pitcairn [0131 244 3709]
The study aims to develop a detailed overview of the administration required by the new compulsory powers and assess the impact of this work on the workload, roles and responsibilities of a range of relevant professional groups. The study also aims to assess the opportunity cost of administrative work associated with the new Act, and recommend ways in which both individual tasks and processes could be improved.
Well? What do you think? (2006) The third national Scottish survey of public attitudes to mental health, mental well-being and mental health problems
Contractors: Ipsos MORI and Stirling University
Due date: June 2007
Contact: Angela Hallam [0131 244 2813]
The survey aims to examine the views and experiences of a representative sample of the adult Scottish population in relation to a spectrum of mental health-related issues; and to compare findings with the first and second survey (carried out in 2002 and 2004) and other relevant survey data.
See me evaluation
Contractors: Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry and Rethink
Due: November 2007
Contact: Alison Stout [0131 244 5332]
The evaluation aims to co-ordinate a detailed account of the development and activities of the 'see me …' campaign, determine the extent to which 'see me …' has met its own strategic objectives to date (and identify factors that have acted as facilitators and barriers), and make recommendations for the future development of anti-stigma work in Scotland.
Determinants of suicide review
Contractors: Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health, Edinburgh University and Stirling University
Due: January 2008
Contact: Alison Stout [0131 244 5332]
The project aims to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the risk and protective factors for suicide and suicidal behaviour.
Experiences of Mental Health (Care and Treatment)(Scotland) Act 2003: A Cohort Study
Contractor: Dr Julie Ridley, Dept of Social Work, University of Central Lancashire
Due: April 2008
Contact: Jamie Pitcairn [0131 244 3709]
This qualitative study aims to explore the experiences of service users, their carers and a range of service professionals of living and working with the new Act. The study will also aim to make recommendations on the future development of mental health law in Scotland, and mechanisms for the feedback of stakeholder experience into the ongoing assessment and evaluation of the legislation.
Use and impact of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training ( ASIST) in Scotland: a literature review and evaluation
Contractors: to be appointed March 2007
Due date: January 2008
Contact: Angela Hallam [0131 244 2813]
The project aims to explore the development and implementation of ASIST in Scotland, and to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the training programme.
Forthcoming research
Priorities for Health Research include:
Development of a major patient experience programme: This programme will involve surveys and other research methods and the analysis of existing local and national information on consultations and complaints. A decision will be taken as part of this work as to whether the Public Attitudes to the NHS in Scotland Survey will be re-commissioned in 2006/07 or whether other work will be commissioned in its place.
For further details contact Imelda Hametz [0131 244 3740]
Priorities for Mental Health Research include:
1) Review of the Small Research Projects Initiative
2) Participative appraisal of the Scottish Recovery Network
For further details contact Angela Hallam [0131 244 2813]
Publications
The epidemiology of suicide in Scotland 1989-2004: an examination of temporal trends and risk factors at national and local levels
Contractors: Consortium led by Steve Platt, Research Unit in Health, Behaviour and Change, University of Edinburgh
The research brought together data on intentional self-harm and undetermined deaths among adults between 1989 and 2004 and broad population data, to establish trends in the incidence of suicide and variation in suicide rates by gender, age, social class, socio-economic deprivation and method.
[Report is due to be published 7 March 07]
Evaluation of the First Phase of Choose Life: the National Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide in Scotland
Contractor: Consortium led by Steve Platt, Research Unit in Health, Behaviour and Change, University of Edinburgh
An evaluation of the infrastructure put in place (nationally and locally) to support the implementation of Choose Life, and measurement of progress to date. The report provides recommendations that will guide the next phase of the action plan to achieve a 20% reduction in suicides in Scotland by 2013.
Link to report here
Evaluation of the Breathing Space Telephone Advice Line and Signposting Service for People Experiencing Low Mood or Depression
Contractor: Scottish Centre for Social Research
The evaluation assessed the development of the service to date and explored the effectiveness of the communication strategy and the telephone line in terms of reaching the target population of younger men. The report includes recommendations for future development of the service.
Link to report here
Evaluation of the Thrive initiative
Contractor: FMR Research
Evaluation of a counselling and support service based at the Sandyford Initiative in Glasgow, focused on male survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
(Small Research Projects Initiative - two page summary available)
Link to report here
How can community services support mental health and well-being?
Contractors: Outside the Box Development Support
The project focused on people experiencing mental health problems and members of community groups, exploring what keeps them well and ways in which community services can support mental health and well-being
(Small Research Projects Initiative - two page summary available)
Link to report here
Self-help support groups: a study of their role in recovery from depression
Contractors: University of Edinburgh
The research aimed to identify the characteristics and structures of well-run self-help groups; the aspects of self-help groups which are most helpful to recovery from mental health problems; and challenges which need to be addressed
(Small Research Projects Initiative - two page summary available)
Link to report here
Understanding and promoting student mental health in Scottish higher education: a mapping exercise
Contractors: University of Strathclyde
The research mapped existing statistics, policy and provision for students with mental health problems and aimed to identify ways in which higher education institutions could adopt a more preventative approach
(Small Research Projects Initiative - two page summary available)
Link to report here
Raising awareness and promoting positive mental health and well-being among young people: the role of peer support
Contractors: Barnardo's
The research explored young people's views and experience of peer support as well as examining their strategies for coping with stress
(Small Research Projects Initiative - two page summary available)
Link to report here
Implementing a recovery approach in policy and practice: a review of the literature
Contractors: University of Glasgow
The literature review aimed to highlight the policy and practice contexts of relevant initiatives and their relevance to the Scottish context. It identified key points from the international evidence base and made suggestions as to where this evidence might be used to support policy and service development in Scotland
(Small Research Projects Initiative - two page summary available)
Link to report here
Mental well-being and behaviour in schools: promoting links between evidence and practice
Contractors: University of Teeside and University of Aberdeen
The project aimed to improve links between research and practice on mental health issues in schools. By consulting with research end users it aimed to improve the passage of evidence into practice and generate new research questions and themes for analysis which were relevant to practitioners and policy makers.
(Small Research Projects Initiative - two page summary available)
Link to report here
Practitioner-related usefulness of assessment and intervention tools in relation to looked after children
Contractors: Edinburgh Connect
The project aimed to monitor and begin to evaluate a new resource bank of assessment and intervention tools.
(Small Research Projects Initiative - two page summary available)
Link to report here
User perspectives of self-help and community signposting: Borders self-help and toolkit service
Contractors: Psychological Service, NHS Borders
The research aimed to examine how the service is used by voluntary and statutory agencies.
(Small Research Projects Initiative - two
Link to report here