Mental Health: An Overview With Implications For Practice

Workshop Description:

Mental health is arguably Britain’s biggest social problem. This workshop will explore the prevalence of mental health problems in this country, amongst our European neighbours, and the USA. Some of the statistics are truly mind-boggling (people with depression are 50% more likely to develop heart disease, lung disease or arthritis, for example). As well as an overview of the extent of mental health problems, we will draw out some implications for the practice of therapists and counsellors. Those implications include the necessity of keeping abreast of research, understanding how effective psychological therapies are (three quarters of people who have psychotherapy are better off than those who don’t), and being clear about where our skills lie (and when we need to make referrals). We will also briefly look at the ideas of deliberate practice, using a change framework to guide client work, and the value of accommodating client’s preferences.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Describe some examples of the prevalence of mental illness in the UK and developed world.
2. Understand the importance of using evidence to guide our choices about who we can work with, and help us avoid being seduced by new treatment methods that may not be supported by evidence.  
3. Recognise the importance of using evidence-based ideas to improve practice; for example, using: a change framework, client preferences, and deliberate practice.