Our Mission…
Our Mission has evolved from the following observations:
It has been established that in the UK we experience a limited availability of statutory services for mental health care, particularly in the highest deprivation areas and areas of highest need.
“Routine care, including for mental health, was temporarily suspended as the NHS pivoted towards creating the capacity to respond to the (covid) pandemic. Even before this, many psychological therapy services had long waiting times and very high thresholds for access to care”*.
“Prior to COVID-19 mental health services were often unable to provide all patients with the level of care they required because of a lack of resources. We are concerned that the anticipated increase in demand on services could make that provision worse still. – The pandemic’s impact on population mental health could also widen existing inequalities in our society if sufficient attention is not given to the specific vulnerabilities of certain groups and demographics”*.
“The pandemic’s impact on population mental health could also widen existing inequalities in our society if sufficient attention is not given to the specific vulnerabilities of certain groups and demographics”*.
*British Medical Association The impact of COVID-19 on mental health in England; Supporting services to go beyond parity of esteem (September 2020)
“Yes, things are sadly more stretched and less humane than they used to be, particularly in the crisis care sector, but the system is going to come under even more strain and there will be even more of a problem in terms of human rights and access. Getting to services is going to get more and more difficult”
*Andrew Molodynski, national mental health lead for the BMA consultants committee, and consultant psychiatrist.
There are close established links between enduring mental ill health and high deprivation socio-demographics
“The 2015 ‘Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion’ report’s comparison of data between 2005 and 2012 found that:
· Within the lowest social economic class, 26% of women and 23% of men were at high risk of mental health problems.
· Three-quarters of people with a mental health problem do not receive ongoing treatment.
· Poverty increases the risk of mental health problems, and can be both a causal factor and a consequence of mental ill health
· Mental health is shaped by the wide-ranging characteristics (including inequalities) of the social, economic and physical environments in which people live.
· Successfully supporting the mental health and wellbeing of people living in poverty and reducing the numbers of people with mental health problems experiencing poverty requires engagement with this complexity.
People who experience several complex and interrelated issues, who are referred to as having ‘complex needs’, are at higher risk of mental health problems and require tailored responses within policy and services. Such complex needs in adulthood can originate in ‘complex trauma’ – that is, exposure to traumatising events from an early age that lead to complex symptoms and behaviours.
The experience of homelessness illustrates the relationship between complex trauma and consequent complex needs. People experiencing homelessness, particularly single people and women, have high levels of mental health problems. High levels of histories of neglect, abuse and traumatic childhood experiences were found in a 2011 census survey of 1,286 participants living in urban homelessness communities. Additionally, people who are homeless may experience significant social exclusion and be affected by substance misuse, which, in themselves, can be traumatic experiences. All of these experiences and issues are further associated with involvement in the criminal justice system”*.
*Poverty and mental health A review to inform the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s Anti-Poverty Strategy – Mental Health Foundation (August 2016)
There is a proven evidence base for the efficacy of self-empowerment and peer support schemes
“The evidence base for the impact of mental health service initiatives employing Peer Workers is growing and originates mostly from North America, Australia and New Zealand. A before-and -after study and a cross sectional survey, both from the US, found significant improvement in individual empowerment associated with receiving peer based support. Hope and strength of social networks have also been indicated as important outcomes for service users in receipt of support from Peer Workers”*
“A recent literature review [9] details a relative wealth of qualitative research based on lived experience that attests to the benefits of Peer Worker initiatives in mental health services, for Peer Workers themselves and the service users they support. Benefits include enhanced personal sense of empowerment, developing better social support and furthering personal recovery”*
*Gillard, S.G., Edwards, C., Gibson, S.L. et al. Introducing peer worker roles into UK mental health service teams: a qualitative analysis of the organisational benefits and challenges. BMC Health Serv Res 13, 188 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-13-188
There is a proven evidence base for the necessity of continuity of care through ongoing relationships with the same carer.
“Trusting relationships are central for recovery, and recovery-oriented services are characterised by personal continuity in the partnership between the service user and his professional helper. Many previous studies support ongoing personal relationships with the same carer as a paramount feature of continuity of care”*
“Breaks in interpersonal relationships were experienced as stressful, anxiety-provoking and left the service users feeling rejected. …… To people who have experienced frequent breaks in their relationships with significant others in the past, such interruptions in personal relationships in health and welfare services may be particularly devastating”*
* Biringer, E., Hartveit, M., Sundfør, B. et al. Continuity of care as experienced by mental health service users - a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res 17, 763 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2719-9