SPICES: Studying Power In Conversations aftEr Self-harm
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Coproduced exploration of how power is experienced in interactions between staff and people who attend community mental health services, focussing specifically on recalled conversations about self-harm, using participant-developed imagery and critical discourse analysis.
IRAS ID
305353
Contact name
Toni King
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Brighton
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
In the field of mental health there is a need to reduce coercion and increase choice in mental health services ((Rose, 2005);DHSC 2019). These issues are closely linked with a sense of powerlessness - a topic which has been poorly understood in practice (Tew, 2008). Within the UK, policy to increase patient choice (DHSC 20192) and shared decision making (NICE 2021) aim to address this yet continue to fall short of this aspiration (DHSC 20193). Similar initiatives are seen internationally. Research examining how mental health professionals and people who access services attempt to implement this change to create more equal relationships conclude that changing “how power is executed” (Femdal and Knutsen, 2017) and “exploring new possibilities for constructing or harnessing power” (Tew, 2016) is required. There is a gap in the literature describing how power is experienced.
Self-harm is identified as an area where there is a recognised need for more effective service responses (Lindgren et al., 2018). The literature emphasizes that a sense of powerlessness is experienced by both staff and those who access services (Perseius et al., 2007, Perseius et al., 2003). While research relating to self-harm often focusses on liaison or forensic services, less is situated in community services.
This study will explore the views of staff and people accessing a Community Mental Health Team (CMHT). Participants will self-identify as either having experience of self-harm or supporting someone who has. They will be asked to recall a conversation where self-harm was discussed and using images will discuss how they experienced power within it in an individual interview. Participants will develop new understandings together in groups about how power is felt and what influences this over two consecutive meetings. All interviews and focus groups will be via a virtual platform.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
22/WA/0233
Date of REC Opinion
30 Aug 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion