Environmental impact on engagement in therapeutic activities (Ver.one)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The impact of the environment on engagement in therapeutic activities of service users in an acute mental health unit.
IRAS ID
234832
Contact name
Ellen Serwaa Adomako
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Essex
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 28 days
Research summary
Mental health service user’s engagement in therapeutic activities facilitated by staff while in the hospital is an important contribution to their recovery. However, service users admitted to the acute mental health hospitals have reported having less activity to engage in. In part, this has been attributed to the dynamics of the hospital environment. This study, as part of the Chief investigator’s PhD thesis, aims at exploring the environment of the acute mental health unit from staff and service users’ perspective. The study proposes to elicit factors within the environment that participants think either promote or inhibit engagement in therapeutic activities and to make recommendations on what can be done in this regard. This Participatory Action Research (PAR) study will be in two modules. Module one of the study will involve a survey where questionnaires will be given to clinical staff and service users to gather their views on the environment. Module two is the formation of the PAR group with a maximum of ten clinical staff for the study. The group of clinical staff will collaboratively work with the Chief investigator and a service user co-facilitator to identify overall social issue of the environment that impacts on service user’s engagement in therapeutic activities and come up with recommendations. The group will meet for five times over an eight months period. One, for induction and four, to engage in the cycle of action and reflection. During these meetings, participants will be involved in discussing issues and contributing from their professional perspectives. An expected outcome of this study is to have a deeper understanding of the environment of the acute mental health unit and to identify ways it can be used to help service users do more within it.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0331
Date of REC Opinion
27 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion