The Mental Health Survey from a different angle
Each year about one thousand people who use mental health services in Leeds and York are surveyed. They answer about 60 questions. The responses help the NHS understand how the services they provide are used.
One thousand responses are impossible to understand on their own so the responses are typically pooled. The results for each question are examined in isolation, losing much of the detail in the responses.
We wanted to explore if there might be a better way. A way to more than just how people answered each question, but how people answered combinations of questions. We're not sure if it works, but it was worth a try.
Q.1 How long have you been in contact with NHS mental health services?
Q.2 When was the last time you saw someone from the NHS mental health services?
Q.3 Which of the following health or social care workers have you seen most recently for your mental health condition?
Q.4 Did this person listen carefully to you?
Q.5 Did this person take your views into account?
Q.6 Did you have trust and confidence in this person?
Q.7 Did this person treat you with respect and dignity?
Q.8 Were you given enough time to discuss your condition and treatment?
Q.9 In the last 12 months, have you taken any prescribed medications for your mental health condition?
Q.10 Do you think your views were taken into account in deciding which medicines to take?
Q.11 In the last 12 months, have any new medications (e.g. tablets, injections, liquid medicines, etc.) been prescribed for you by a mental health worker?
Q.12 Were the purposes of the medications explained to you?
Q.13 Were you told about possible side effects of the medications?
Q.14 The last time you had a new medication prescribed for your mental health condition, were you given information about it in a way that was easy to understand?
Q.15 Have you been on any prescribed medicine(s) for 12 months or longer for your mental health condition?
Q.16 In the last 12 months, has a mental health or social care worker checked with you about how you are getting on with your medicines (i.e. have your medicines been reviewed)?
Q.17 In the last 12 months have you had any talking therapies from the NHS Mental Health Services?
Q.18 In the last 12 months, did you want talking therapy?
Q.19 If you had any talking therapy from NHS Mental Health Services in the last 12 months, did you find it helpful?
Q.20 Do you know who your Care Co-ordinator (or lead professional) is?
Q.21 Can you contact your Care Co-ordinator (or lead professional) if you have a problem?
Q.22 How well does your Care Co-ordinator (or lead professional) organise the care and services you need?
Q.23 Have you been given (or offered) a written or printed copy of your care plan?
Q.24 Do you understand what is in your care plan?
Q.25 Do you think your views were taken into account when deciding what was in your care plan?
Q.26 Does your care plan set out your goals?
Q.27 Do the mental health services you receive help you to achieve these goals?
Q.28 Does your care plan cover what you should do if you have a crisis (e.g. if you may need to be admitted to a mental health ward)?
Q.29 In the last 12 months have you had a care review meeting to discuss your care plan?
Q.30 Were you told that you could bring a friend, relative or advocate to your care review meetings?
Q.31 Before the review meeting, were you given a chance to talk to your care co-ordinator about what would happen?
Q.32 Were you given a chance to express your views at the meeting?
Q.33 Did you find the care review helpful?
Q.34 Did you discuss whether you needed to continue using mental health services?
Q.35 In the last 12 months, did anyone in mental health services ask you about any physical health needs you might have?
Q.36 In the last 12 months, did mental health services give you enough support in getting help for physical health needs you had?
Q.37 In the last 12 months, did anyone in mental health services ask you about your alcohol intake or use of non-prescription drugs?
Q.38 Do you have care responsibilities (including looking after children)?
Q.39 In the last 12 months, did mental health services give you enough support with your care responsibilities?
Q.40 In the last 12 months, have you received help, from anyone in mental health services, with finding or keeping work (e.g. being referred to an employment scheme)?
Q.41 In the last 12 months, have you received help from anyone in mental health services in finding and / or keeping your accommodation?
Q.42 In the last 12 months, have you received help from anyone in mental health services in getting financial advice or benefits (e.g. Housing benefit, Income support, Disability living allowance)?
Q.43 Do you have the number of someone from your local NHS Mental Health Service that you can phone out of office hours?
Q.44 In the last 12 months, have you called this number?
Q.45 The last time you called the number, how long did it take you to get through to someone?
Q.46 The last time you called the number, did you get the help you wanted?
Q.47 Overall, how would you rate the care you have received from Mental Health Services in the last 12 months?
Q.48 Have mental health services involved a member of your family or someone else close to you, as much as you would like?
Q.51 In general, how is your mental health right now?
Q.52 Have you been admitted to a hospital as a mental health patient in the last 12 months?
Q.53 Are you currently in paid work? Yes I am working between 1-15 hours a week.
Q.54 Who was the main person or people that filled in this questionnaire?
Q.55 To which of these ethnic groups would you say you belong?
Q.1 How long have you been in contact with NHS mental health services?
Q.2 When was the last time you saw someone from the NHS mental health services?
Q.3 Which of the following health or social care workers have you seen most recently for your mental health condition?
Q.4 Did this person listen carefully to you?
Q.5 Did this person take your views into account?
Q.6 Did you have trust and confidence in this person?
Q.7 Did this person treat you with respect and dignity?
Q.8 Were you given enough time to discuss your condition and treatment?
Q.9 In the last 12 months, have you taken any prescribed medications for your mental health condition?
Q.10 Do you think your views were taken into account in deciding which medicines to take?
Q.11 In the last 12 months, have any new medications (e.g. tablets, injections, liquid medicines, etc.) been prescribed for you by a mental health worker?
Q.12 Were the purposes of the medications explained to you?
Q.13 Were you told about possible side effects of the medications?
Q.14 The last time you had a new medication prescribed for your mental health condition, were you given information about it in a way that was easy to understand?
Q.15 Have you been on any prescribed medicine(s) for 12 months or longer for your mental health condition?
Q.16 In the last 12 months, has a mental health or social care worker checked with you about how you are getting on with your medicines (i.e. have your medicines been reviewed)?
Q.17 In the last 12 months have you had any talking therapies from the NHS Mental Health Services?
Q.18 In the last 12 months, did you want talking therapy?
Q.19 If you had any talking therapy from NHS Mental Health Services in the last 12 months, did you find it helpful?
Q.20 Do you know who your Care Co-ordinator (or lead professional) is?
Q.21 Can you contact your Care Co-ordinator (or lead professional) if you have a problem?
Q.22 How well does your Care Co-ordinator (or lead professional) organise the care and services you need?
Q.23 Have you been given (or offered) a written or printed copy of your care plan?
Q.24 Do you understand what is in your care plan?
Q.25 Do you think your views were taken into account when deciding what was in your care plan?
Q.26 Does your care plan set out your goals?
Q.27 Do the mental health services you receive help you to achieve these goals?
Q.28 Does your care plan cover what you should do if you have a crisis (e.g. if you may need to be admitted to a mental health ward)?
Q.29 In the last 12 months have you had a care review meeting to discuss your care plan?
Q.30 Were you told that you could bring a friend, relative or advocate to your care review meetings?
Q.31 Before the review meeting, were you given a chance to talk to your care co-ordinator about what would happen?
Q.32 Were you given a chance to express your views at the meeting?
Q.33 Did you find the care review helpful?
Q.34 Did you discuss whether you needed to continue using mental health services?
Q.35 In the last 12 months, did anyone in mental health services ask you about any physical health needs you might have?
Q.36 In the last 12 months, did mental health services give you enough support in getting help for physical health needs you had?
Q.37 In the last 12 months, did anyone in mental health services ask you about your alcohol intake or use of non-prescription drugs?
Q.38 Do you have care responsibilities (including looking after children)?
Q.39 In the last 12 months, did mental health services give you enough support with your care responsibilities?
Q.40 In the last 12 months, have you received help, from anyone in mental health services, with finding or keeping work (e.g. being referred to an employment scheme)?
Q.41 In the last 12 months, have you received help from anyone in mental health services in finding and / or keeping your accommodation?
Q.42 In the last 12 months, have you received help from anyone in mental health services in getting financial advice or benefits (e.g. Housing benefit, Income support, Disability living allowance)?
Q.43 Do you have the number of someone from your local NHS Mental Health Service that you can phone out of office hours?
Q.44 In the last 12 months, have you called this number?
Q.45 The last time you called the number, how long did it take you to get through to someone?
Q.46 The last time you called the number, did you get the help you wanted?
Q.47 Overall, how would you rate the care you have received from Mental Health Services in the last 12 months?
Q.48 Have mental health services involved a member of your family or someone else close to you, as much as you would like?
Q.51 In general, how is your mental health right now?
Q.52 Have you been admitted to a hospital as a mental health patient in the last 12 months?
Q.53 Are you currently in paid work? Yes I am working between 1-15 hours a week.
Q.54 Who was the main person or people that filled in this questionnaire?
Q.55 To which of these ethnic groups would you say you belong?
Q.1 How long have you been in contact with NHS mental health services?
Q.2 When was the last time you saw someone from the NHS mental health services?
Q.3 Which of the following health or social care workers have you seen most recently for your mental health condition?
Q.4 Did this person listen carefully to you?
Q.5 Did this person take your views into account?
Q.6 Did you have trust and confidence in this person?
Q.7 Did this person treat you with respect and dignity?
Q.8 Were you given enough time to discuss your condition and treatment?
Q.9 In the last 12 months, have you taken any prescribed medications for your mental health condition?
Q.10 Do you think your views were taken into account in deciding which medicines to take?
Q.11 In the last 12 months, have any new medications (e.g. tablets, injections, liquid medicines, etc.) been prescribed for you by a mental health worker?
Q.12 Were the purposes of the medications explained to you?
Q.13 Were you told about possible side effects of the medications?
Q.14 The last time you had a new medication prescribed for your mental health condition, were you given information about it in a way that was easy to understand?
Q.15 Have you been on any prescribed medicine(s) for 12 months or longer for your mental health condition?
Q.16 In the last 12 months, has a mental health or social care worker checked with you about how you are getting on with your medicines (i.e. have your medicines been reviewed)?
Q.17 In the last 12 months have you had any talking therapies from the NHS Mental Health Services?
Q.18 In the last 12 months, did you want talking therapy?
Q.19 If you had any talking therapy from NHS Mental Health Services in the last 12 months, did you find it helpful?
Q.20 Do you know who your Care Co-ordinator (or lead professional) is?
Q.21 Can you contact your Care Co-ordinator (or lead professional) if you have a problem?
Q.22 How well does your Care Co-ordinator (or lead professional) organise the care and services you need?
Q.23 Have you been given (or offered) a written or printed copy of your care plan?
Q.24 Do you understand what is in your care plan?
Q.25 Do you think your views were taken into account when deciding what was in your care plan?
Q.26 Does your care plan set out your goals?
Q.27 Do the mental health services you receive help you to achieve these goals?
Q.28 Does your care plan cover what you should do if you have a crisis (e.g. if you may need to be admitted to a mental health ward)?
Q.29 In the last 12 months have you had a care review meeting to discuss your care plan?
Q.30 Were you told that you could bring a friend, relative or advocate to your care review meetings?
Q.31 Before the review meeting, were you given a chance to talk to your care co-ordinator about what would happen?
Q.32 Were you given a chance to express your views at the meeting?
Q.33 Did you find the care review helpful?
Q.34 Did you discuss whether you needed to continue using mental health services?
Q.35 In the last 12 months, did anyone in mental health services ask you about any physical health needs you might have?
Q.36 In the last 12 months, did mental health services give you enough support in getting help for physical health needs you had?
Q.37 In the last 12 months, did anyone in mental health services ask you about your alcohol intake or use of non-prescription drugs?
Q.38 Do you have care responsibilities (including looking after children)?
Q.39 In the last 12 months, did mental health services give you enough support with your care responsibilities?
Q.40 In the last 12 months, have you received help, from anyone in mental health services, with finding or keeping work (e.g. being referred to an employment scheme)?
Q.41 In the last 12 months, have you received help from anyone in mental health services in finding and / or keeping your accommodation?
Q.42 In the last 12 months, have you received help from anyone in mental health services in getting financial advice or benefits (e.g. Housing benefit, Income support, Disability living allowance)?
Q.43 Do you have the number of someone from your local NHS Mental Health Service that you can phone out of office hours?
Q.44 In the last 12 months, have you called this number?
Q.45 The last time you called the number, how long did it take you to get through to someone?
Q.46 The last time you called the number, did you get the help you wanted?
Q.47 Overall, how would you rate the care you have received from Mental Health Services in the last 12 months?
Q.48 Have mental health services involved a member of your family or someone else close to you, as much as you would like?
Q.51 In general, how is your mental health right now?
Q.52 Have you been admitted to a hospital as a mental health patient in the last 12 months?
Q.53 Are you currently in paid work? Yes I am working between 1-15 hours a week.
Q.54 Who was the main person or people that filled in this questionnaire?
Q.55 To which of these ethnic groups would you say you belong?
See the big diagram with all the responses to all the questions here (but be patient, it will take a while to draw).
We don't think this experiment worked very well but we do think we can learn things from it. We've written about it over on the mhealthhabitat blog.
Lastly, we're at imactivate.com or you can email me at thomas.forth@gmail.com — let us know what you think!