Lived experience informs improvements to acute mental health care

The experience and knowledge of practitioners, such as psychiatric nurses, and former patients will guide the implementation of a more personalised approach to policy and practices in the hospital ward.

A particular focus is addressing a key recommendation from the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System to eliminate the use of restrictive practices such as seclusion and restraint and create a more harmonised ward environment for patients.

Stephanie Bennetts, a PhD student in Deakin's Institute for Health Transformation (IHT) said restrictive practices can be retraumatising for both patients and practitioners so finding alternatives was critically important for everyone.

'There are some people with lived experience that have a very personal understanding of the fear and trauma that is associated with hospital admissions,' Ms Bennetts said.

'Our research was the first to listen to the experiences of both former patients and nursing staff to develop new ways of improving ward safety and patient outcomes.

'One of the suggested co-design strategies was the introduction of a mental health peer navigator whose main role is to be a first point of contact in the admission process.

'Participants said having someone close by who has walked in their shoes would be a calming and supportive influence during what is often a distressing time in someone's life.

'Eliminating restrictive practices in the Geelong Barwon region requires embedding principles of self-advocacy, continuity of care, early intervention and safety for all within practices and service systems.'

Barwon Health senior peer support worker, Dr James McLure, who is also a research fellow in Deakin's Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), said bringing his own lived experience perspective to the project provided the team with another authentic lens.

'Working in research at Deakin, and in mental health peer support at Barwon Health, I am aware of the impact restrictive practices can have on our people,' Dr McLure said.

'This project is part of creating a 'Listening and learning mental healthcare system' where we work together - people accessing services, mental health staff, and researchers - to co-design solutions for a safer and friendlier environment for people to heal and grow in.'

The research team, Translation Research in Mental Health (TRiMH) which includes researchers from IHT and Barwon Health, is now seeking funding to begin a trial of the navigator role at Barwon Health's Swanston Centre.