Services, treatments and recovery
Services and treatments themselves also need to be evaluated to see what works and what does not. Our research is therefore carried out in order to gain information into the effectiveness of services, treatments and recovery programmes, and issues around the delivery of them.
Completed studies
- Do helplines help? – Helplines provide a confidential listening service and emotional support and are usually run by a voluntary sector service provider, such as Rethink (which runs 13 helplines in the UK). This study compared the impact of two Rethink helpline models on patient pathways through mental health services.
- Self-management– living with schizophrenia is undoubtedly a challenge, but this report shows that it is possible for people with this diagnosis to self-manage the illness and live a positive and rich life. Rethink is building upon this research to develop a programme to support people diagnosed with schizophrenia to find ways to be more in control of their lives through self management.
- Innovations for anxiety– No Panic is the charity for the support of people living with panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder and other related anxieties. No Panic runs telephone recovery groups. This research evaluates the effectiveness of the programme.
- Early intervention services - In 2005 we undertook an audit of al early intervention services across England.
Rethink believes that people with mental health problems should be able to access the most effective services and treatments possible. This includes playing an active role in making decisions about their own treatment and being equipped with the information to do so.
Current projects
- Physical health check– We are working with Dr Mike Phelan from West London Mental Health Trust to pilot a physical health check for people with mental health problems in a range of settings. The project started in January 2006 and is due to run for 2 years.
