Impact on mental health care and on mental health service users of the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods survey of UK m
- PDF / 757,209 Bytes
- 13 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 22 Downloads / 188 Views
ORIGINAL PAPER
Impact on mental health care and on mental health service users of the COVID‑19 pandemic: a mixed methods survey of UK mental health care staff Sonia Johnson1,2 · Christian Dalton‑Locke1 · Norha Vera San Juan3 · Una Foye3 · Sian Oram3 · Alexandra Papamichail3 · Sabine Landau3 · Rachel Rowan Olive4 · Tamar Jeynes4 · Prisha Shah4 · Luke Sheridan Rains1 · Brynmor Lloyd‑Evans1 · Sarah Carr5 · Helen Killaspy1,2 · Steve Gillard6 · Alan Simpson3,7,8 · The COVID-19 Mental Health Policy Research Unit Group Received: 12 June 2020 / Accepted: 6 August 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has potential to disrupt and burden the mental health care system, and to magnify inequalities experienced by mental health service users. Methods We investigated staff reports regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in its early weeks on mental health care and mental health service users in the UK using a mixed methods online survey. Recruitment channels included professional associations and networks, charities, and social media. Quantitative findings were reported with descriptive statistics, and content analysis conducted for qualitative data. Results 2,180 staff from a range of sectors, professions, and specialties participated. Immediate infection control concerns were highly salient for inpatient staff, new ways of working for community staff. Multiple rapid adaptations and innovations in response to the crisis were described, especially remote working. This was cautiously welcomed but found successful in only some clinical situations. Staff had specific concerns about many groups of service users, including people whose conditions are exacerbated by pandemic anxieties and social disruptions; people experiencing loneliness, domestic abuse and family conflict; those unable to understand and follow social distancing requirements; and those who cannot engage with remote care. Conclusion This overview of staff concerns and experiences in the early COVID-19 pandemic suggests directions for further research and service development: we suggest that how to combine infection control and a therapeutic environment in hospital, and how to achieve effective and targeted tele-health implementation in the community, should be priorities. The limitations of our convenience sample must be noted. Keywords COVID-19 · Coronavirus · Pandemic · Mental health care · Mental health staff · Mental health services
Sonia Johnson and Christian Dalton-Locke are joint first authors. RRO and TJ are also authors of the independently written Lived experience commentary which follows the Discussion. The COVID-19 Mental Health Policy Research Unit Group members are listed in the ‘Acknowledgements’ section. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01927-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Christian Dalton‑Locke c.dalton‑[email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
Data Loading...
