Evaluation “Experienced Involvement”
Careum Research evaluates an advanced training that enables people with psychiatric experience to play a participatory role in healthcare.
Basis
Promoting self-help and the active participation of people with psychiatric experience across all levels of health care is something that has been required for some time now. Those concerned should take on a diverse range of roles in this process, for example in the education of those in health professions, in public relations work or as a “peer worker” in direct care. This participation aims to improve the quality of psychosocial offers, by taking greater account of the concerns of those concerned and helping break down social stigma, whilst also enabling people with psychiatric experience to participate in a meaningful way and one that is profitable for the community.
As part of a project promoted by the European Leonardo da Vinci Programme, a curriculum (EX IN Experienced Involvement) was established to give people with psychiatric experience the right kind of qualifications. The advanced training course gives people with psychiatric experience the opportunity to reflect on their own experience and adopt methodologies and background knowledge that will enable them to work as an employee in psychiatric services, as a lecturer or in any other related role. In order to make this possible in Switzerland too, the training was taken over by the EX IN association and adapted to the Swiss context.
Project
Careum Research evaluates this advanced training and addresses the following questions:
- What kind of profile do the participants have in terms of their sociodemographic background and their history of illness and treatment?
- Do their state of health, recovery focus, resistance to stigma, self-monitoring, self-efficacy and hope change over the course of their participation in the advanced training?
- What career prospects do the participants develop during the advanced training?
Methodical approach
The evaluation combines quantitative and qualitative survey methods. The written surveys take place before the advanced training, upon its completion and a year later. These are supplemented with a guided group interview with the participants at the end of the advanced training.
Project team
Careum Research: Anna Hegedüs
Client
Duration
April 2017–July 2018