EVIDENCE ANDC EVALUATION IN MENTAL HEALTH

Evidence and Evaluation in Mental Health

Evidence and Evaluation in Mental Health

Introduction

Mental health is a concept that aims to create stable living conditions and environments that enable individuals to maintain a normal lifestyle and share in the benefits of the state. These efforts include measures to increase the chances of more people living a normal health life with full mental well being and stability. Donahue (2010) describes mental health promotion as promoting positive mental health by increasing psychological well-being, competence and resilience and by increasing supportive living conditions and environments. The purpose of interventions within mental health care is to increase the chances of people who are living with a mental health illness to achieve a healthier life with full mental wellbeing and stability. These efforts aim to ensure that patients are able to maintain table living conditions and environments that enable them to maintain a normal lifestyle and share in the benefits within their community. So, with this being said it is evident that mental health is an important part of a human beings overall health.

Clinical Audit and Supervision

In the UK it is now a recommendation that all nurses in contemporary healthcare settings receive clinical supervision. Clinical supervision is a multi-faceted construct that can enhance skills, reduce stress and consolidate new innovations. This is often achieved through a process of reflection and inter-professional knowledge sharing, conducted in the domain of an open forum. Indeed, Buus, (2009) suggests that the primary aim of clinical supervision is to enable the development of professional skills. Others have echoed this sentiment and added that the implementation of clinical supervision regimes could yield further benefits in terms of staff support measures and subsequent personal growth.

Cleary et al (2010) highlight how the application of clinical supervision systems can improve patient safeguarding measures and also improve the quality of services that they receive. This point is reiterated throughout the Department of Health's clinical governance literature, which champions clinical supervision and describes this approach as being fundamental in helping sustain and enhance high standards of patient care (Department of Health, 1997; 1999). Lynch et al (2008) indicate how it is apparent that clinical supervision has the potential to address a multitude of issues, such as elements of management, education, clinical practice, patient care and morale. Also, it is an exercise that has been clearly advocated by the Department of Health (1999) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008).

Despite all this clinical supervision continues to be a very difficult process to fully implement effectively and with sustainability. There appear to be a number of problems associated with this and in particular within inpatient settings. These problems would include access to a supervisor and interpretation of the term clinical supervision. Lynch et al (2008) suggest that clinical supervision is an ill-defined notion and advises against accepting this concept as a panacea to resolve the many difficulties that can arise in practice. Buus and Gonge (2009) are cautious of clinical supervision for another reason, ...