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News News Archive 2010 International evidence supports link between employment and recovery
News News Archive 2010 International evidence supports link between employment and recovery
International evidence supports link between employment and recovery |
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| Thursday, 10 June 2010 |
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This is the first article in an SRN series looking at work, welfare rights and debt. We all need things in our lives that provide meaning and purpose and it is no different for people in recovery. For many, it is about feeling empowered by their own actions, in particular, being able to contribute to wider society and having that contribution valued [1]. Meaning and purpose can be found in different ways, including through volunteering, activism, spirituality, education, and social roles, but the way most commonly recognised by society is through paid employment. A recent article by Richard Warner set out to show that scientific evidence supports the concept of recovery. As part of his investigation, Warner provided evidence that paid employment can support a person’s recovery. The article highlights studies that show that people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who are either in paid employment or enrolled in effective vocational programmes, had an increased quality of life, improved self esteem, enhanced functioning, an expanded social network, reduced psychiatric hospital admissions, reduced health care costs and less intensive and negative symptoms of psychosis [2]. Further evidence comes from a 2007 international study looking at the rates of employment of people with schizophrenia. It found the highest rate of employment (60%) in Heilbronn, Germany (where the regional employment average is 67%). Two other German sites included in the study had the second and third highest rates of employment. Compare this with London, which had the lowest employment rate at only 7%. For all three German sites, there were more vocational services and placements available than in other areas in the study. They also had the greatest numbers of people working in sheltered settings and a large number supporting themselves entirely through their own earnings without accessing state benefits, which suggests that the availability of good opportunities for combining work and benefits does not necessarily lead to people getting stuck [3]. The UK government is starting to consider taking a similar approach, with the commissioning of an independent review looking at how people who are currently out of work - and who have a ‘mild to moderate’ or ‘severe’ mental health condition - can be supported into employment. The Perkins Review supports such an approach by making a strong case for additional investment to roll out an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model [4]. IPS focuses on getting people into a job as quickly as possible, and then providing support for as long as it’s needed. Evidence cited in Perkins has shown that with this approach, 61% of people with a ‘serious mental health’ condition can access employment through an open competitive process, compared to only 23% through the traditional approach, where people are trained first, and then placed. Dr Perkins also recommends developing a more personalised service using existing resources including the promotion of peer support, provision of better training for existing staff, and more effective communication between the DWP and health and social services. As part of its response to the Perkins Review, the government has laid out its commitments to help people in contact with secondary mental health services access work in Work, Recovery and Inclusion. Commitments relating to the DWP have application UK-wide, while those relating to health and social services are applicable in England only. While recovery isn’t necessarily about getting back into work, many of the people we spoke to as part the SRN’s narrative research project who, as a result of their mental health problems, were not working, said they would like to be in paid employment, given the right opportunity and support. People also said that they were not necessarily able to work in a traditional way, and highlighted the importance finding different ways to work and contribute [1]. Recovery is a unique and personal journey, and for some paid employment will be an important part of their recovery, while this will not be the case for others. Because of the personal nature of recovery, any reforms to employment services should take a person-centred approach, to ensure that changes are effective and meaningful. [1] Brown, W and Kandirikirira, N. (2007) Recovery Mental Health in Scotland. Scottish Recovery Network [2] Warner, R. (2010) Does the scientific evidence support the recovery model? The Psychiatrist, Issue 34, pgs 3-5. [3] Marwaha, S et al. (2007) Rate and correlated of employment in people with schizophrenia in the UK, France and Germany. British Journal of Psychiatry, Issue 191, pgs 30-37. [4] Perkins, R. (2009) Realising ambitions: better employment support for people with a mental health condition. UK Government Department of Work and Pensions. Related linksSRN news article 14th January 2010 - 'UK government has much to say on mental health and employment' Mental Health, Recovery and Employment (188.59 kB) |
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| What mental health practitioners talk about, when they talk about SRI 2 |
16 May Having recently facilitated Learning Networks on the use of the updated Scottish Recovery Indicator (SRI 2), SRN’s John McCormack was keen to hear from practitioners about their use of the tool and how it affects practice in the field. Here John shares his discussions with Lindsay Kerr and Jan Thomson who both work in NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s Mental Health Services. |
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