Shared-experience groups in a high-secure psychiatric hospital
Intended for healthcare professionals
Art & Science Previous     Next

Shared-experience groups in a high-secure psychiatric hospital

Hannah Daniels Assistant psychologists, Rampton Hospital, Nottinghamshire at the time of the study
Deborah Skinner Assistant psychologists, Rampton Hospital, Nottinghamshire at the time of the study
Sarah Todd Forensic psychologist, Rampton Hospital, Nottinghamshire

Hannah Daniels and colleagues describe a study that explored the value and benefit of mutual support in a shared experiential mental health awareness programme

This study explores the benefits of shared-experience groups from a service user’s perspective, in a UK high-secure forensic mental health environment. Shared-experience groups have proved beneficial to treatment outcomes, however little research has investigated this in forensic settings.

A qualitative design was adopted with a sample comprising seven men who had participated in a mental health awareness course. They attended a focus group to share their experiences, which were recorded and anonymised. Thematic and saliency analysis identified three main themes: relating to others; increased understanding of mental health; and hope. These were all judged to be beneficial by participants.

The findings support the use of shared-experience groups in a forensic mental health population.

Mental Health Practice. 18, 4, 14-21. doi: 10.7748/mhp.18.4.14.e947

Correspondence

Hannah.daniels@nottshc.nhs.uk

Peer review

This article has been subject to double blind peer review

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 03 November 2013

Accepted: 07 May 2014

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more