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Improving mental health and wellbeing in underserved populations through collaborative research
The Three Schools Mental Health Programme was established to address the challenges of enhancing involvement and participation in mental health research among various underserved groups. To date, over 80 awards have been funded, covering a diverse range of methodological approaches, participatory techniques, and populations in need. 
The programme aims to promote shared learning, capacity building, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. We host a monthly online seminar series to support these objectives. This programme offers a rich blend of methodological and participatory strategies, focuses on underserved populations, and addresses a variety of research questions, including both prospective and retrospective reflections. 
The online seminars are open to all award holders, their extended teams, and anyone interested in the topic. Award holders and presenters are encouraged to invite public contributors to join the seminars and co-present. All presentations are recorded (with permission) and will be available below as they are produced.

Please address enquiries to Claire Ashmore: c.ashmore@keele.ac.uk

Previous Seminars

18 OCTOBER 2022

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The challenges of accessing and working with marginalised, vulnerable young people.

Speaker: Rhiannon Barker, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Summary: My research is focused on exploring links between mental health, experience of school and gang membership of 11-18 year olds across England. I am currently in the scoping phase of the research, involving extensive consultation with a range of stakeholders including policy, practitioners, experts by experience and academics. I will discuss the innovative qualitative methodologies I am planning to use reflecting on both the challenges and opportunities. In particular I will look at issues of reflexivity and positionality reflecting on my position as a white, middle aged, entitled woman.

12 NOVEMBER 2022

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Exploring the impact of Patient, Public and Community Engagement and Involvement in the design and development of the Evaluation of the Recovery Navigator Programme in the North East and North Cumbria 

Speakers: Emma-Joy Holland, Newcastle University & Fiona Tasker, public contributor 

Summary Background: People who come to emergency departments on a regular basis with alcohol problems have high levels of need, often due to their mental ill-health. However, there is currently limited evidence on how to effectively support the transition from hospital to community-based support for heavy drinkers. This study seeks to evaluate a new role, Recovery Navigators, that will provide enhanced support regarding transition back into the community across the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Integrated Care System (ICS). Recovery Navigators will offer bespoke support to address what matters to the client, e.g. housing, benefits or welfare, and will guide care within hospitals and, crucially, post-discharge.   

12 DECEMBER 2022

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How public involvement led the project to focus on the mental health needs of carers 

Speaker: Clarissa Giebel, Senior Research Fellow, University of Liverpool, SPHR 

Summary: Heavily co-produced research with people with dementia, unpaid carers, health and social care professionals, and Charity providers into the impacts of the pandemic on dementia care in the community and in care homes has generated the idea for this funded study into the unmet mental health needs of paid and unpaid carers for older adults. The talk will give a brief overview of the original COVID-19 research, how lived experts and care providers were involved, and provide an overview of the ongoing NIHR-funded study.

23 JANUARY 2023

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Developing research priority areas to improve treatment pathways and outcomes for people with co-occurring mental health problems and alcohol use disorders 

Speaker: Laura Goodwin, University of Lancaster & Phil Parkes, public contributor (Expert Citizens) 

Summary: In the presentation we will discuss the outcomes of two workshops which involved people with lived experience of co-occurring mental health and alcohol use disorders and public and third sector professionals. We will provide a summary of the findings, which includes i) an overview of the positives and negatives of the four different treatment pathways offered to this group and ii) the development of a top 10 list of research priority areas. 

27 MARCH 2023

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Supported Volunteering at Ripon Museums: 'De-researchifying' research processes and methods in a sensitive way.

Speakers: Martin Webber, Beth Casey & Helen Thornton 

Summary: Supported volunteering provides a way for people who require additional support to access volunteering opportunities. However, limited research has been conducted on supported volunteering so we do not know enough about how, and if, it might help people. This presentation reports on the qualitative methods used for an evaluation of supported volunteering at Ripon museums, a collaboration between the International Centre for Mental Health Social Research (ICMHSR) at the University of York and the Ripon Museum Trust (RMT). A range of methods have been utilised in order to provide a choice for participants and to facilitate participation. This included having conversations with volunteers about their experience of support (rather than more formal interviews); observing support provided; and giving volunteers the opportunity to complete an audio or written diary about their experiences. The presentation will reflect on the ‘sensitive’ research approach taken; uptake and experience of participating in different methods and comparisons between the data produced. The presentation will conclude with practical considerations and researcher reflections on the methods used.  

26 APRIL 2023

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How we are involving parent carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities in our research, and what impact that has had on the SPaCE Project 

Speaker: Sharon Foxwell and Annabel McDonald, parent carer co-investigators, and Gretchen Bjornstad, University of Exeter  

Summary: It can be challenging to meaningfully involved people with lived experience in epidemiological studies from inception, so this would provide an opportunity to highlight some examples of how these parent carers have shaped the project, including involvement in defining the populations that we include, selecting predictors of mental health outcomes to include in the analyses, selecting the mental health outcomes to focus on, and thinking through the implications of our findings. We are also planning to involve parent carers in innovative dissemination strategies, including leading one of our papers and including specific subsections within the discussion sections of all of our papers for our parent carer co-investigators to describe their reflections on the findings. 

03 MAY 2023

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Collaborating to develop holistic health support for people living with severe mental illness 

Speakers: Emily Oliver & Ilaria Pina, Newcastle University, and Sue Webster, peer researcher 

Summary: Our three schools’ funded project, WHOLE-SMI, explores holistic health promotion for people living with severe mental illness, an underserved population who have not typically been well-represented in research involvement and engagement. Here we present, with our peer researchers and community advisory group members, learning from this research.  

12 JUNE 2023

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Using the Nominal Group Technique for organising a workshop for carers of people who have been discharged by mental health hospitals. 

Speakers: Maria Panagioti & Natasha Tyler, University of Manchester 

Summary: We will talk about the use of Nominal Group Technique for organising a workshop for carers of people who have been discharged by mental health hospitals. We will talk about how the technique has helped us develop topic areas, facilitate the workshop date and develop a set of research priorities for a future grant application.  

12 JULY 2023

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Embedding and evaluating trauma-informed and co-production approaches with people who've experienced multiple disadvantage 

Speakers: Michelle Farr and Tracey Stone, University of Bristol & Thomas Traub and Rebecca, peer researchers 

Summary: Changing Futures is part of a government funded programme aimed at improving the lives of adults experiencing multiple disadvantages. Changing Futures in Bristol is working with organisations and people with lived experience to: 

  • Improve the way that local services work, so people can access the support they need more easily 

  • Promote trauma-informed approaches, equality and diversity, and co-production, working together with people with lived experience of multiple disadvantage 

We will discuss how we are evaluating this work, sharing our learning to date, and explore how systems can be changed to promote more equality, co-production and trauma-informed care. 

13 NOVEMBER 2024

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Experiences of and outcomes for Blackpool adults treated with Buvidal opioid substitution therapy.

Speaker: Dr Rebecca Fish and Prof. Céu Mateus 

Summary: Blackpool Local Authority in the north of England experiences very high rates of drug misuse, drug crime and drug-related deaths. Buvidal (Buprenorphine prolonged-release injection) is a new injection treatment for people who are dependent on heroin. It is a form of ‘opioid substitution therapy’. There is very limited evidence on Buvidal use in community settings, but it may be of benefit for those who find it difficult to attend for daily supervised medication. This research evaluates the outcomes of Buvidal from the perspectives of service users in order to add to the body of evidence on this medication and to decide whether it is a cost-effective treatment for people with heroin dependence locally. This presentation will describe the findings from the mixed-method study, using qualitative interviews (around 20 participants) and administrative data to explore the outcomes of this intervention. With this work, we have generated evidence to help policymakers to decide on the rollout of this medication in other communities. We offer an understanding of what those who use Buvidal appreciate about the medication and the way it is given, and about what can be improved.

 

02 DECEMBER 2024

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Making a Difference Through Your Research: Getting Started on Research Impact as an Early Career Researcher.

Speakers: Dr Ruth Naughton-Doe

Summary Background: Are you wondering how to begin the long journey of translating your research findings into meaningful, measurable impact? Ruth Naughton-Doe will share her story from her NIHR Three Schools Mental Health Programme Fellowship which explored solutions to perinatal loneliness. Ruth will reflect on how she built a research network, obtained funding for spin-off projects implementing the findings of her research, and is beginning to track and measure the changes that are happening in practice and research.

 

  • Link to YouTube recording
  • Download the Presentation Slides

30 JANUARY 2025

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Care gaps among people presenting to the hospital following self-harm.

Speaker: Dr Sarah Steeg

Summary: Dr Sarah Steeg, Three Schools’ Mental Health Fellowship award holder, will present findings from her research into care gaps among people who have harmed themselves. Understanding the care and support people receive after they have sought help for self-harm is vital. Appropriate and timely care can help prevent further self-harm and is key for suicide prevention. Most research to date has focussed on the role of mental health services, including outpatient care, psychological therapies, crisis home treatment teams and inpatient mental health services. However, general practitioners (GPs), voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) services and social services can play a key role in providing self-harm aftercare.

During this seminar, Sarah will discuss the types of services individuals accessed after self-harming and identify specific groups that may be experiencing gaps in care. She will also address the importance of co-developing measures of patients’ needs in collaboration with clinicians and individuals with lived experience of self-harm.

 

  • Link to YouTube recording
  • Seminar series editor commentary and highlights
  • Download the Presentation Slides