Measuring Consumer Participation in Mental Health Services: Are Attitudes Related To Professional Orientation?

Abstract

This study describes the development of the Consumer Participation Questionnaire to measure consumer involvement in the planning, management and evaluation of mental health services, and the attitudes of mental health workers towards consumer participation. Results indicate that while most professionals view the concept positively, progress may be occurring faster at the level of individual treatment than at the organisational level. Professionals with a more biological (as opposed to psychosocial) orientation were less likely to predict that services would improve if consumers were involved in the planning of services or were employed therein. Recommendations to facilitate more effective consumer participation are made, including the need for the value of a collaborative approach to be emphasised in professional training programmes.

How do managers and leaders in the National Health Service and social care respond to service user involvement in mental health services in both its traditional and emergent forms? The ENSUE study

“…The results of the our survey mirror the findings of Kent and Read, 49 which showed that most mental health professionals viewed SUI positively. Kent and Read's study highlighted that professionals from psychosocial backgrounds were more likely to predict and associate benefits with user involvement than professionals with a more biological/medical background.…”

“…We saw also that front-line staff were mostly supportive of user involvement activities and that they particularly welcomed user involvement in training. The prediction that social workers would be more positive than those with a nursing background was borne out and is consistent with the work of Kent and Read, 49 although the context of the two studies is quite different.…”

“…We predicted that social workers would be more influenced by SUI activities than nurses, and more likely to have directly participated in user involvement initiatives. There is support in the literature for this 49 and user involvement is a mandatory part of social work education. The sample size was based on the ability to test the hypothesis of a difference in mean outcome scores between two independent groups: social workers and CPNs.…”

User and Carer Involvement in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: A Norwegian Staff Perspective

“…The active and direct involvement of users in their own treatment increases the feeling of personal responsibility for changes in the course of treatment and can lead to better therapeutic outcomes including increased self-esteem and coping potential (Delsignore et al 2008;Kent andRead 1998, citing Farina andFisher 1982;Garber and Seligman 1980;Greenfield et al 1985;Schwarzer 1992;Nelson and Borkovec 1989;Lefley 1990;Soffe et al 2004). Sometimes just the opportunity to talk, combined with the experience of being heard, can be a relief for users (Lewis 2004).…”

Participation publique et santé mentale : la réponse contrastée et inachevée des utilisateurs de services

“…Ces dernières sont en effet souvent perçues comme étant trop émotives pour participer aux processus décisionnels (Kent & Read, 1998) ou, encore, n'ayant pas les connaissances nécessaires pour le faire ; on les voit comme des observateurs plutôt que comme des acteurs.…”