Shared Decision Making in Mental Health
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Using Mental Health Service Users’ Experiences as a Shared Decision Making Resource: A Participatory Action Research Project
IRAS ID
183967
Contact name
Katherine Allen
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Central Lancashire
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 11 days
Research summary
This project was designed with a participatory action research team of mental health service users, who chose shared decision making (SDM) as their priority research topic. Following a literature review, they decided to focus on the provision of accessible information – an essential aspect of SDM. They will explore the use of a repository of service users’ experiences as a shared decision making (SDM) resource, from the perspective of service users and staff. The team are going to record their and other service users’ experiences using a variety of media, and use these to support SDM. The study will take place in an NHS adult community mental health team (CMHT) and social inclusion service (SIS), and will last for 15 months. SDM features in the NHS Constitution, which states that “you have the right to be involved in discussions and decisions about your health and care…and to be given information to enable you to do this”. The NHS Mandate includes an objective “to ensure the NHS becomes dramatically better at involving patients, and empowering them to manage and make decisions about their own care and treatment”. However, current levels of evidence on SDM in mental health are limited. It is acknowledged in the literature that there are unique challenges in applying SDM in mental health for service users and service providers, and that more research is needed.
There are two groups involved in the project for whom ethical approval is being sought: (1) service users recording their experiences, (2) and research participants, who will be service users and staff. Any mental health service user over 18 will be eligible to record their mental health experience. Any current service users/ of the CMHT and/or SIS who are over 18, and any staff member of these teams are eligible to be research participants.REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0193
Date of REC Opinion
30 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion