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Mental Health Nursing

The Mental Health Nursing research group is developing a programme of high-quality research with the aim of improving the delivery and experience of mental healthcare and mental health nursing across a range of service settings.  Staff work across the Health Service and Population Research department in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Our research is collaboratively developed and conducted in partnership with service users, carers, clinicians, service managers and policy makers, and across researcher disciplines. We are building on a body of previous research that has included studies in inpatient and community mental healthcare settings and in the transitions between them.  We are also keen to investigate and improve the healthcare and outcomes for people with mental illness and physical health problems. This has included work with people with severe mental illness and type 2 diabetes, the healthcare needs of people with mental illness and physical health problems in acute hospitals, and the mental health needs of people with aphasia following stroke. 

Major completed research projects include two large mixed methods studies of recovery-focused care planning and coordination in community (COCAPP) and inpatient mental health services (COCAPP-A), and a programme of research that led to the successful trial and global implementation of the nurse-led Safewards intervention to improve safety on inpatient wards. Ongoing studies we are involved with include the ENRICH trial of peer support for people discharged from hospital, the ASSURED trial to improve the care of people in emergency departments who have self-harmed and/or are suicidal, and the EDITION study developing and testing interventions to improve skills in de-escalation on acute mental health wards. New projects in development include studies of activities on inpatient wards and the use of body-worn cameras in mental healthcare settings. 

Members

Una Foye

Una Foye

Research Associate

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson

Professor of Mental Health Nursing

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Recovery-focused care planning and coordination

Care planning and coordination is central to mental health service delivery for people with severe mental illness and should be delivered in collaboration with the service user and be focused on their recovery. The National Institute of Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme commissioned two cross-national mixed methods studies of recovery focused care planning and coordination in community (COCAPP) and inpatient mental health settings (COCAPP-A). The multi-centre research team, led by Professor Alan Simpson, have published two major reports, six peer-reviewed papers and presented results at numerous conferences and knowledge exchange events. The studies have influenced national policies and guidance on care planning and coordination.

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Improving the of care of people with severe mental illness and type 2 diabetes

People with severe mental illness are x times more like to develop type 2 diabetes. This is the result of a complex interaction between the nature of the illness, aspects of the treatments provided, and lifestyle factors. Barts charity funded a team of researchers, led by Professor Alan Simpson, to investigate and identify the facilitators and barriers to improve self-management of diabetes in people with severe mental illness. Qualitative interview studies and quantitative surveys with service users and a range of healthcare staff has led to the publication of nine peer-reviewed publications and a knowledge exchange event attended by a range of service users, carers, clinicians, educators and policy makers to discuss the findings and suggest the next steps forward. We have obtained funding for two PhD students to continue work in this area and are exploring potential new studies.

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Peer support for people discharged from acute mental health hospitals

ENRICH is a £2million, five-year programme of applied research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to develop, pilot and trial a Peer Worker intervention to enhance discharge from inpatient to community mental health care.  (beginning March 2015) The programme is led by Dr Steve Gillard at St George’s, University of London (SGUL) and runs until 2020. Approximately 36% of people discharged from inpatient psychiatric care in England are readmitted within one year, the majority within 3 months, or otherwise disengage with services. Around 15% of all suicides nationally take place post-psychiatric discharge, the majority of those in the first week of discharge. The study builds on a pilot trial of peer support led by Professor Alan Simpson and other research by Dr Gillard and others internationally, that suggests support by people with shared lived experience may be effective and beneficial to those leaving hospital.

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ASsuRED: Improving outcomes for patients presenting in Emergency Departments (ED) having harmed themselves

The ASsuRED project aims to improve outcomes for patients presenting in Emergency Departments (ED) having harmed themselves. EDs in England manage about 220,000 self-harm contacts per year. When someone with self-harm is seen in the ED, a mental health practitioner (MHP) usually assesses their psychological state, social situation and needs for support. Although there are many examples of good care, the current approach is not evidence based. People often say that the assessment does not focus on “me as a person” but “as a list of problems”. The conversation between the individual with self-harm and the MHP is critical in engaging them in treatment and helping them cope better. Studies in other countries have shown that training ED MHPs in brief psychological techniques, in how to work with the individual to create a personal plan for future crises and contacting them after they leave the ED reduces subsequent self-harm and death by suicide. We will test if this approach can help patients in the NHS. The ASsuRED project is a five-year programme of research being led by Professor Rose McCabe at City, University of London. Professor Alan Simpson is co-facilitating the Lived Experience Advisory Panel and contributing throughout the study.

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EDITION: Enhancing de-escalation techniques in adult acute and forensic units: Development and evaluation of an evidence-based training intervention

De-escalation techniques are recommended for averting potential violence in mental health settings without resorting to restrictive practices and are part of mandatory NHS training. But, existing training is non-evidence-based and restrictive practices are used too often/too soon in response to disturbed behaviour. De-escalation training has two core theoretical functions, firstly to modify staff attributions as to the causes and degree of control patients exercise over aggressive behaviour and, secondly, to equip staff with calming skills and strategies to use once escalating aggression occurs. Underpinned by this theory, we aim to develop and evaluate an evidence-based training intervention to improve understanding and de-escalation techniques in mental health staff. The EDITION study is led by Dr Owen Price at the University of Manchester.

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UCL—KCL Mental Health Research Policy Unit

The Mental Health Policy Research Unit (MHPRU) is a joint enterprise between researchers at University College London and King’s College London with a national network of collaborators. We conduct research commissioned by the National Institute of Health Research Policy Research Programme to help the Department of Health and Social Care and others involved in making nationwide plans for mental health services to make decisions based on good evidence. The MHPRU contributed research evidence to the national review of the Mental Health Act and is currently undertaking a number of studies.

Contact us

Dr Una Foye

Research Associate

+44 (0) 207 848 5079

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