The Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series (KESS) is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom, formally partnering a legislative arm of government – the Northern Ireland Assembly – with academia. Aiming to encourage debate and improve understanding, KESS provides a forum to present and disseminate research findings in a straightforward format, making those findings easily accessible to decision-makers. Seminars are free to attend. To register email raise@niassembly.gov.uk

Agenda

1.30pm – Welcome

1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks

1.45pm – Dr Karen Kirby, Ms Orla Mc Devitt-Petrovic, Dr Orla McBride, Prof Mark Shevlin, Dr Donal McAteer, Dr Colin Gorman and Dr Jamie Murphy (Ulster) – A New Mental Health Service Model for NI: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Low Intensity CBT (LI-CBT)

In 2010, the Strategy for the Development of Psychological Therapy Services in NI proposed a step care framework (SCF) as the most efficient model of mental health service delivery. A core feature of the SCF was that those with anxiety and depression would receive early interventions with a treatment that was shown to work. Despite the fact that early interventions such as LI-CBT are the most strongly evidenced interventions for depression and anxiety (NICE, 2009), and are shown to save money in the long term (London School of Economics, 2012), we do not currently have a service framework that formally applies this evidence, by training and employing specialist therapists to work in early intervention. Those with mild to moderate depression and anxiety who would greatly benefit from this service are thus missing out. At Ulster University we have therefore trained approximately 30 LI-CBT therapists to meet the developing service demands (treating approximately 500 clients), and while they are on placement, we are routinely monitoring their effectiveness on a session by session basis. The researchers at Ulster aim to evaluate the efficacy of this service model, based on the criteria of reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms below a clinical threshold, while being standardised against national rates for recovery, are thus demonstrated.

2.05pm – Dr Claire McCauley, Prof Hugh Mc Kenna, Dr Sinead Keeney and Dr Derek McLaughlin (Ulster) – ‘Surviving out of the Ashes’: An exploration of Mental Health Recovery in Young Adulthood in Northern Ireland

In response to the Bamford Review (2005) recommendations, the Service Framework for Mental Health and Well-being (DHSSPS 2010) indicated mental health recovery must be at the heart of all service and strategy development. This, the first study of its kind, explored young adult service user’s perspectives on mental health recovery in NI. This research identifies the factors that most impact on recovery. It proposes that there must be a definition of mental health recovery, personalised for young people here, and that their experiences must be used to inform decisions on service provision. It finds that the considerable risks to young adult’s lives of a generic and service orientated understanding of mental health recovery must be understood by legislators and policy-makers. The research findings make an important, positive contribution to our understanding of mental health recovery, and to the policy changes and service developments that are ultimately required to help service users. For example, findings indicate specific and targetable barriers, the removal of which would significantly improve a young adult’s perception of the achievability of mental health recovery in their life. Findings also identify specific areas in which tailored information, education and service provision are able to significantly promote the process of mental health recovering in the young adult demographic. The briefing will identify the actions policy-makers can take to ensure mental health recovery is understood and articulated by young adults to provide them with an effective wellness strategy for life.

2.25pm – Discussion

2.45pm – Comfort Break

2.55pm – Prof Chris Nugent, Prof Sally McClean and Dr Ian Cleland (Ulster) – The empowering role of smartphones in behaviour change interventions: The Gray Matters Study

The use of mobile apps are being claimed to have the ability to support a range of health and social care problems.  Their use is, however, surrounded by widespread scepticism due to the lack of clinical evidence of their effectiveness which subsequently hinders their widespread use.  This seminar will provide clinical evidence on the positive effects of mobile apps as a means of delivering behaviour change and reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.  The Gray Matters Study, a 6-month pilot study with 104 participants using the Gray Matters app, aimed to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, whilst in the short-term promoting vascular health. The Gray Matters app was designed to facilitate the delivery of intervention material, recording of user behaviours and presentation of performance feedback. Results indicated that recording behaviours and achievement of daily targets were correlated to favourable improvements in biological and clinical markers, with significance in reducing BMI and correlation with cholesterol levels. Further analysis indicated that 69.2% of those who achieved more than 60% of their daily targets reduced their BMI during the study. In summary, the Gray Matters app excelled as a method to deliver intervention material, and simultaneously encourage and monitor behaviour change.

3.15pm – Prof Owen Barr, Dr Elizabeth Gallagher, Dr Laurence Taggart, Prof Siobhan O’Neill and Prof Angela Hassiotis (University College Limerick), Mr Paul Webb (Praxis) – Examining the difference in how residential facilities support people with intellectual disabilities with challenging behaviour and/or mental health problems live in the community

Over the last 30 years’ services for people with learning disabilities in NI have been transformed with community services. The ‘Equal Live’ Report (2005) and Learning Disability Service Framework document (2012) strongly emphasise supporting people with learning disabilities to be supported in the community. Although, this has generally been quite successful, the development of community living has not been without its challenges as some people can present with challenging behaviours and/or mental health problems. The present study was a 3-year project funded by the HSC R&D Division. It was carried out with the aim to investigate potential differences between two groupings of residential facilities for people with learning disabilities and/or challenging behaviours, one of which has experienced higher rates of hospital admissions, and one of which has successfully maintained people in the community. Staff from across the five HSCTs in NI participated by completing a number of standardised questionnaires and interviews, as well as family members and service users in both groups. Key findings highlight differences in terms of approaches of support, leadership and managerial structure across these two settings. The findings will be discussed and implications/recommendations for both policy and practice will be highlighted.

3.35pm – Discussion

4.05pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

4.10pm – Networking and Refreshments