« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
What is self-help?
For ease of understanding self-help interventions may be categorised in to 4 levels.
Level 1
" Information on Common Mental Health Problems": The main focus of the materials at this level is to provide information to citizens about mental ill-health problems and psychological distress.
Level 2
" Advice and Coping": This material provides advice on coping with psychological problems, and includes some sign-posting to additional supports and services.
Level 3
"Self Directed Structured Plan": This material is self directed ( i.e. does not require another person when using). It is reflective. The user records progress through observation of changes. When using the material, the user plans and implements changes to their behaviour/routine.
Patients who present with symptoms that would indicate interventions at levels 1 to 3 do not require supported self-help. Interventions at levels 1 to 3 are covered in the accompanyingself-help toolkit.
It is useful to publicise the existence of the resources in Levels 1 to 3 within the local community in order that patients and their families know where to access resources if and when they are required.
Level 4( This is the level to which the majority of this publication refers)
"Supported Self-Help": This is a "therapeutic" relationship that involves a collaborative formulation of the problem. Self-help materials are used as part of a supported, structured programme agreed by the user and an appropriately trained and supervised practitioner.
The service is delivered as close as possible to the patient's local community, usually within the GP surgery.
What do supported self-help services provide
The service provides rapid access to evidence-based, brief, time-limited psychosocial interventions or signposting onto other appropriate services. The user has access to face-to-face contact with a trained practitioner. Together they will agree an appropriate action plan ranging from advice and information through to structured psychosocial approaches adapted to self help. These sessions generally take place in the GP surgery or other appropriate community-based setting.
For how long?
There are generally between 2-4 sessions over a maximum of 4 hours total contact. The first session is generally around an hour long and gives both parties the opportunity to get to know one another, identify and agree the main problems areas and agree goals and for the practitioner to collect some baseline data regarding the patient's condition. This is followed by one or two more face-to-face sessions of approximately half an hour. At the last session the data gathered at the first appointment will be repeated to assess the degree of recovery.
« Previous | Contents | Next »