Staff Experiences of Transformations in Mental Healthcare (SET-MH)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Staff experiences of transformation in NHS secondary mental health services: an ethnographic study of resilience and burnout
IRAS ID
353325
Contact name
Milena Wuerth
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
SOAS University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This is a study of staff experiences of changes in the policy and practice of mental healthcare in Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS Foundation Trust. It is being undertaken as part of a fully-funded PhD in Anthropology at SOAS University of London.
This PhD project complements the Anthropological Study of Peer-supported Open Dialogue (APOD, IRAS ID: 272400), conducted by Professor David Mosse and colleagues from 2020-2024. While this project does not focus specifically on the Open Dialogue approach, it will investigate issues of urgency and relevance to CNWL identified by the APOD team, including turnover and burnout among staff.
'Burnout' among mental health staff has been cited as a major threat to the sustainability of the health service. This study will investigate the underlying causes of staffing shortfalls and high turnover, centring staff experiences of changes in the policies and practices of secondary mental healthcare. The study will also identify key facilitators of staff resilience and continuity of care within community mental health teams.
The study is supported by a partnership between SOAS's Centre for Anthropology and Mental Health Research in Action (CAMHRA) and CNWL NHS Foundation Trust. Findings will be analysed to inform Trust-level policy and support the implementation of new treatment approaches (including Peer-supported Open Dialogue, aka ‘POD’) aiming to improve both patient and staff experience.REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/SW/0022
Date of REC Opinion
18 Mar 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion