mental health

The right to be heard: review of the Quality of Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) services in England

Review of the quality of Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) provision across England that was commissioned by the Department of Health. A team of independent researchers including four academics and nine co-researchers with experience of using mental health services undertook the study, which lasted eighteen months from 2010. Using different methods, the experiences and viewpoints of those with experience of IMHA, advocacy services, and health and social care professionals were explored in-depth.

Outside In

Arts agency providing a platform for artists who find it difficult to access the art world either because of mental health issues, disability, health or social circumstance.

Mental health and homelessness: planning and delivering mental health services for homeless people

Briefing that sets out the policy context around tackling homelessness and addressing the mental health needs of homeless people. It also examines what considerations need to be made when planning, designing and delivering mental health services for homeless people and highlights examples of good practice.

The association between childhood cognitive ability and adult long-term sickness absence in three British birth cohorts: a cohort study

Paper which aimed to test the relationship between childhood cognitive function and long-term sick leave in adult life and whether any relationship was mediated by educational attainment, adult social class or adult mental ill-health.

Data from the 1946, 1958 and 1970 British birth cohorts was used. Initial study populations included all live births in 1 week in that year.

Not a marginal issue: mental health and the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland

In March 2010, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) published a report into the treatment of people with mental health problems in the criminal justice system, starting with the police, moving through the prosecution to the courts and ending up with prisons and probation.

The report – while noting some excellent practice – documented a range of deficiencies with current arrangements and highlighted the enormous challenges the treatment of people with mental health issues presented to the criminal justice agencies.

Left behind

Report that reflects findings from a programme of visits that took place across Scotland between April and July 2011 to individuals with severe and enduring mental illness in rehabilitation and continuing care wards based in psychiatric hospitals across Scotland.

Mental health and education decisions

Paper that helps documenting the importance of the association between poor mental health, educational attainment and subsequent dropping-out behaviour.

It suggests (but does not prove) that there could be a causal mechanism. Thus, programmes aimed at improving the mental health of adolescents may be very important for improving educational attainment and reducing the number of young people who are 'NEET' (not in education, employment or training).

Systematic review of beliefs, behaviours and influencing factors associated with disclosure of a mental health problem in the workplace

Paper that reviews evidence on: employment-related disclosure beliefs and behaviours of people with a mental health problem; factors associated with the disclosure of a mental health problem in the employment setting; whether employers are less likely to hire applicants who disclose a mental health problem; and factors influencing employers’ hiring beliefs and behaviours towards job applicants with a mental health problem.