Abstract
Despite the emphasis on recovery in services for adults of working age, equivalent developments and research in older people’s mental health services (OPMHS) have not taken place. In this thesis, the applicability of the concept of ‘recovery’ to older people with mental health problems is explored.First, a qualitative study was undertaken with 28 service users and 10 carers, which produced a conceptual framework of recovery for older people with mental health problems. This highlighted similarities and differences in the experience of recovery for older people compared to their younger peers. This was used to identify the working practice implications and to develop an intervention for staff working within OPMHS and intended effects.
A feasibility study was undertaken to optimise the intervention and evaluation strategy, and to define the trial parameters for a future definitive trial. The intervention was delivered to 204 staff working in 15 clinical teams in South London, UK. The hypotheses were that the intervention would improve recovery and quality of life for service users.
A ‘controlled before and after’ (CBA) design was used with 103 service user
participants at baseline, who were interviewed across three time points. Process
evaluation comprised: qualitative interviews with staff and trainers (n=15), pre-post staff ratings of recovery knowledge and attitude (n=176), fidelity assessment and an audit of care plans of 328 service users.
| Date of Award | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Mike Slade (Supervisor) & Subrata Banerjee (Supervisor) |