Promoting recovery in mental health
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Promoting recovery in mental health (PRIMH) - improving mental health responses to domestic and sexual violence
IRAS ID
139489
Contact name
Louise M Howard
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Research summary
The links between domestic and sexual violence and mental ill-health are well documented, as is the high prevalence of abuse experienced by mental health service users. Most cases of domestic and sexual violence, however, remain undetected by mental health services. Mental health professionals rarely ask service users about experiences of abuse and often fail to provide adequate responses to disclosures.
Strategies concentrating solely on the enhancement of mental health professionals’ skills and competencies to address violence and abuse have shown only limited success in improving service responses. Preliminary evidence suggests that broader organisational support is necessary to engender staff confidence and to achieve the successful implementation of domestic and sexual violence innovations with healthcare Trusts.
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a strategic-level intervention aimed at improving NHS trust-wide responses to domestic and sexual violence. The intervention will include:
o Implementing holistic responses to domestic and sexual violence within Trust safeguarding, clinical and recovery frameworks
o Creating a strategy to implement good practice on domestic and sexual violence
o Mentoring senior practitioners to become domestic and sexual violence champions
o Delivering train the trainer training and developing domestic and sexual violence competency frameworks to inform long-term workforce development
o Delivering training to frontline services
o Strengthening relationships with local domestic and sexual violence services
o Involving patients to inform and influence service deliveryREC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0114
Date of REC Opinion
17 Feb 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion