Understanding impact and experience of MHTR service and shame
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding impact and experience of Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) service and shame
IRAS ID
316623
Contact name
Chris Griffiths
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 29 days
Research summary
Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) order is a sentencing option for offenders who experience low to medium level mental health issues which is assessed as being suitable for a mental health support and interventions in the community.
MHTR service seeks to understand patients’ needs and goals and: ‘enable access to community services through individualised support’ and ‘develop of a trusting relationship with shared goals’. The MHTR support and interventions are clinically supervised by the MHTR Clinical Lead and deliver by MHTR Practitioner. Psychological interventions are individually tailored to the needs of each patient. The support and interventions typically involve 10-12, 50 minute sessions over approximately 6 months, where the individual meets with the Primary Care MHTR Practitioner overseen by the Clinical Lead. The intervention may typically involve skills and techniques from the following options: psychoeducation, breathing, mindfulness; compassion focused therapy (CFT); dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT); cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT); and behavioural activation (BA) (Callender, 2020).
People given a MHTR have complex needs; compared to general population they experience higher rates of mental health difficulties, physical health needs, risk and security needs, unemployment, financial insecurity, housing issues, illiteracy, histories of abuse and violence, offending behaviour, self-harm, and social deprivation (Callender, 2020). The MHTR work with the person to improve their mental health and risk of re-offending. Research evidence indicates that shame has significant implications (Harman and Lee, 2010).
This research uses the Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL), Experience of Shame Scale (ESS) and routinely collected MHTR service measures (CORE-34, PHQ-9, GAD-7) to assess patients to form an understanding of impact of MHTR on mental health and shame, how shame features, the impact this has on self-compassion. The research conducts in-depth semi-structured interviews to understand MHTR patients’ lives, experiences, impact of MHTR, impact of shame and their feedback, opinions, and recommendations.REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EE/0151
Date of REC Opinion
26 Aug 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion