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How to refer: Information for Clinicians

How to refer: Information for Clinicians

Patients can be referred by contacting our researchers:

London ELFT

London CNWL  

Bedford   

Who can refer?

Any clinician working in the East London NHS Foundation Trust or Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust can refer service users to the ERA study.

We can accept referrals from service users within the London boroughs of City and Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham and from Bedford services. Service users from Luton and Central Bedfordshire can be referred but must be willing and able to travel to Bedford for the group therapy. We can accept referrals from service users within Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.

What's involved for participants?

Participants will complete a consent form and if they agree to take part, they will be asked to complete a screening questionnaire about their current symptoms, for which they will receive £10. If they meet the inclusion criteria, participants are shown videos of the arts therapies and will be asked to select their preferred type of group arts therapy: music therapy, art therapy or dance movement therapy. However, if they do not meet the inclusion criteria, they would be unable to participate. In this case, the researcher will signpost them to alternative services. Participants who meet the eligibility criteria will complete some more questionnaires, for which they will receive a further £10. Participants will then be randomly allocated into either their preferred arts therapy group or to group counselling.

Group sessions will last for 90 minutes, twice per week, for 20 weeks. There will also be an individual introductory and end review meeting with the therapist. Once the group sessions have ended, participants will be invited to attend 3 further meetings with a researcher to complete questionnaires (post intervention, 6-month and 12-month follow up) and they will receive £20 for attending each meeting. There is also an optional interview with a researcher to discuss their group therapy experience.

What are the inclusion and exclusion criteria?

Inclusion Criteria

  • Outpatient in secondary mental health care or enhanced primary care
  • Motivation to attend group arts therapy or group counselling for 5 months
  • Expression of preference for one of three forms of arts therapy
  • 18 years of age and above
  • Primary diagnosis of ICD-10: schizophrenia (F2), mood (F3) or anxiety (F4) disorders
  • Duration of current mental disorder of 6 months or longer
  • At least moderate symptom level on BSI (this is assessed by the researcher when taking informed consent)
  • Capacity to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

  • Primary diagnosis of organic mental disorder (F0), substance misuse (F1) or personality disorder (F6)
  • Duration of current mental disorder <6 months (i.e. patients with short-term crises)
  • Physical condition that prevents attendance of group arts therapies
  • Insufficient command of English for communication with other group members and therapists
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