The following current research projects cover adults and the mental health of the general population:
Evaluation of Mental Capacity Assessment in England and Wales
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is designed to support vulnerable people to make decisions for themselves whenever and as far as possible and to protect these individuals and those who care for them when decisions have to be made on their behalf. The Act came into force in 2007. This study asked:
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What guidance is currently available and what materials/training are being developed to assist with the introduction of the new Act?
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How is mental capacity being assessed and how are decisions being made before the introduction of the new Act?
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How will mental capacity be assessed and how will decisions be made following the introduction of the new Act?
The study visited 18 sites throughout England and Wales in both rural and urban settings. It looked at statutory and non-statutory services for adults, people with learning disabilities and older people.
More information on the Whose decision? report
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A national evaluation of community-based services for people with interpersonal problems.
The research team are working on a 24-month study funded by the Department of Health to evaluate 11 pilot services for people with interpersonal problems. This is a collaborative study between the Mental Health Foundation, Imperial College London, University College London, the Institute of Psychiatry and the University of Liverpool.
The study comprises four research modules:
The Mental Health Foundation is responsible for the user-led module and is evaluating service quality from the perspective of service users and their carers.
We are pioneering service user and carer involvement in all aspects of the module, with service user and carer representatives on the steering group and project advisory group and service user researchers conducting interviews and analysing the data. The final report will be available in Spring 2007 and findings will be used to make recommendations for the development of future services for people with interpersonal problems.
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An evaluation of a therapeutic community for people with mental health problems
The Mental Health Foundation was invited by Cherry Orchards to conduct a small scale evaluation of its work and life with the aim of exploring and describing its key therapeutic processes and outcomes from the perspective of its community members.
A researcher was embedded as an observer-participant in the community’s shared life and conducted one-to-one interviews exploring Cherry Orchards’ development, therapeutic approaches and structures and individual residents’ and workers’ experiences.
Residents also rated changes in their own support needs since living in the community and therapeutic alliance (relationships with keyworkers and the community as a whole) using scales specifically designed and adapted for use in this setting. Qualitative and quantitative data has now been analysed by the research team and findings have been reflected back for validation with the community. Learning points and recommendations for future development of the community are now being formulated and a report of this work will be published.
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This evaluation will be carried out alongside our Recovery in Action project. Organisations across the Strategic Network for Mental Health are developing projects to embed the recovery model in their service provision.
To evaluate this work, a recovery measurement tool will be developed with input from local service users. Service users’ self-reported recovery and recovery orientation in staff, services and the network will be evaluated twice:
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In Spring 2007 as the pilot projects are launched, with results to be fed back into the network to inform service and practice development
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In Spring 2008, when recovery projects will be evaluated
Change and development in the recovery outcomes of services over the course of the Recovery in Action project will be reported in AUtumn 2008 alongside other outputs of the work.
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We fund innovative research into the care and treatment of mental illness and mental health promotion. We offer grants to individuals, non-profit making organisations and others working in and around the mental health research field. It is intended that any research will lead to the development of dissemination activities, campaigns and best practice, which will in turn influence policy. We also hope that grants funded by our programmes will be a tool to serve the community.
In 2006, we funded 10 exciting projects on topics including horticultural therapy, clinical governance in the voluntary sector and the innovative role of self-help organisations in supporting people with mental health problems.
More information about our current research grants
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Products from past research into the mental health of people of all ages can be found in Publications.
As well as research, we also work to improve and develop services for people of all age groups.
If you have any questions or comments please email our webteam.
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