Support Needs of Staff with Mental Health Problems v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Do Mental Health Services Provide Considered and Progressive Employment Practices that Support the Needs of Staff who have Personal Experiences of Mental health Problems?
IRAS ID
159156
Contact name
Patrick Callaghan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust
Research summary
Research suggests that well-defined policy guidance is available to assist organisations in providing a safe and supportive working environment for staff who have experience of mental health problems, if they choose to do so. Exploration of the available literature emphasises that although much work has been done and progress made, action is still required to ensure that staff who have experience of mental health problems are represented, valued and supported in the workplace. Studies suggest that people with mental health problems continue to face barriers, including discrimination within employment. This research, however is largely based on individuals’ perceptions of their experience and therefore cannot be authenticated. Despite this data from UK and American labour force surveys as well as other empirical studies clearly indicate that people with mental health problems are less likely to be in employment, are more likely to be in lower paid jobs and more likely to live below the poverty line than those without such an illness. This increases exponentially for those with severe and enduring mental health problems.
The literature review concluded that no detailed study has been published in this area, a gap that I am proposing to address via my thesis. The primary aim of this proposed study is to determine whether mental health services provide considered and progressive employment practices that support the needs of staff who have personal experiences of mental health problems. In doing so this research aims through an organisational case study of a local healthcare trust in Nottinghamshire, which is a provider of mental health services, to identify and explore those organisational values and practices which can effectively support staff with experience of mental health problems.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1523
Date of REC Opinion
20 Aug 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion