Principles into practice survey findings 2010
Topics covered in this article: Mental Health Act, PIP members and network, Participation & involvement
In August -September 2010 we carried out a survey to find out what people thought about Scotland's progress in putting the principles of good mental health care and treatment into practice. We wanted to know whether people thought progress was being made, how far people think there is to go and where we need to focus our efforts.
Over 300 people responded to our survey
- 60% were mental health professionals
- 12% were health/social workers (non-mental health specialist)
- 10% were service users
- 3% were carers
- 15% didn't fit into any of the above categories
Our survey said...
Five years after new Scottish mental health laws came into force, there's general consensus that the needs and wishes of people with mental health problems are being respected when it comes to their care and treatment. But there's a marked difference between the views of mental health professionals on the one hand, and service users on the other.
Headline findings
Most people were positive about the overall application of the guiding principles with over half (56 per cent) saying that it is better/much better than under previous legislation.
Three in four (75 per cent) mental health professionals believe that an individual's wishes are always or often taken into account in their care and treatment. However this view is only shared by around a third (37 per cent) of service users and carers.
Nearly three quarters (71 per cent) of mental health professionals believe that an individual's abilities and background are always or often taken into account in decisions about their care and treatment. Less than a third (26 per cent) of services users and carers agree that this is the case.
Around a third of people who completed the survey (31 per cent) thought that older people were the least likely to have the principles applied to their care and treatment.
While 84 per cent of mental health professionals said they were aware of the guiding principles, a third of service users and carers (33 per cent) thought awareness among those responsible for mental health treatment was "limited".
Over half of those surveyed (55 per cent) considered that public sector cuts will make it less likely that the principles continue to be taken into account in delivering services for people with mental health problems.
- About the Principles
our survey said
Comments
Posted by Anita Wiseman on Friday 01 October 2010 at 15:18
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this survey. It's heartening that people feel that the principles are increasingly taken into account and that the new law has on the whole led to improvements in individual care and treatment.
The gap between service user and carer experience and the views of professionals is a concern. As is the shared view that older people are the least likely to have the principles applied to their care. The Network Steering group will be thinking about what we can do help promote the principles and improve participation.
If you work in or use a service that you think is getting it right perhaps you could put them forward for a PiP award? Awards are a great way to help share learning about what works.
Posted by
EdinComms
on Thursday 30 September 2010 at 13:11Why such a difference between the views of professionals and service users about awareness of the principles among those responsible for mental health treatment? Do the professionals know the principles but apply them inconsistently? Or is the problem lack of awareness among a particular group of professionals?
Comment edited by an administrator on Mon 4 Oct 2010 at 14:28