Mental Health & Employment Research Network

This research group has been in existence for 7 years and meets 4-6 times per year. It is convened by Helen Lockett (The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health) and Graham Thornicroft (Institute of Psychiatry) as special topic group within the UK Mental Health Research Network (UKMHRN), sponsored by the Care Services Improvement Partnership.

The mix of skills and interests within the Research Group includes Health Economics, Health and Social Care Policy, Health Service Research, Occupational Health, Psychology, Service User Research, Sociology, and Social Psychology.

The network is open to all researchers currently active in the field.

Aims of the Network

  • To promote and support research and researchers in the field of mental health and employment
  • To collaborate in designing small and large scale research projects and making funding bids
  • To share and disseminate research findings and other evidence relevant to enabling people with mental health problems to obtain (and remain in) employment

Contacts

For more information, contact Helen Lockett on helen.lockett@scmh.org.uk.

Current projects

At the moment the group is looking at developing research proposals in the following areas:

  • Early Intervention Teams and Supported Employment - mapping current activities (Lead contact: Tom Craig at t.craig@iop.kcl.ac.uk)
  • The effects of motivational interviewing on the implementation of the Individual Placement and Support Model (Leads Geoff Shepherd & Jenny Secker)
  • The role of primary care and the involvement of service users in research (Lead Mee Ling, Trinova)
  • Mental Health promotion (Lead - Linda Seymour)

Recent projects

SESAMI (Social inclusion through Employment Support for Adults with Mental Illness)

SESAMI is a multi-site, qualitative study of supported employment services across England.

The research team produced a final report in October 2006, which looked at approaches to employment support: acceptability to stakeholders; number of people placed; quality of jobs obtained, levels of social inclusion of these jobs; income; and costs. Any differences by locality, ethnicity and gender were explored.

Good practice guides for local communities, employers, professionals, informal carers, and service users will be produced in appropriate formats.

For more information and latest news about the project, visit the SESAMI website. You can download the final report and a summary below.

Download SESAMI baseline data and findings report (PDF, 112 KB)

Download SESAMI summary report (Word, 116 KB)

EQOLISE (Enhancing the Quality of Life and Independence of persons disabled by severe mental illness through Supported Employment)

EQOLISE is an international, multi-centre study into the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) against usual rehabilitation and vocational services for people with severe mental illness (SMI).

IPS places persons with SMI in competitive employment and provides indefinite support to enable them to maintain that employment. This intervention was tested against standard rehabilitation and vocational services in six European states through a randomised controlled trial (RCT).

This three-year study ended in February 2006. The findings of the study have been submitted to the EC and will be available soon. For further details see the Eqolise website.

SWAN (Supported Work and Needs)

This study assessed the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a scheme that offers supported employment to patients who have a serious mental illness. The team helped people find and keep a job and then supported them at work for up to two years. The team tried to dispel some of the stigma associated with mental illness.

The SWAN project started in 2004 and the recruitment phase will end in September 2006. Follow-up of participants will continue for two years. To find out more visit the web page at the IOP.