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Research at Edinburgh Napier University regarding psychosocial interventions for trauma has pioneered management of mental health problems. We have developed and tested a number of individual, group and self-help interventions aimed at promoting recovery following psychological childhood and adulthood trauma. We have trained a large number of healthcare professionals on our interventions in the voluntary and statutory sectors. Our research has also informed policy regarding the management of psychological trauma. Self-help materials developed through our research are currently being used by health and social care workers in Scotland and abroad, making an impact on the wellbeing of survivors of trauma.
Research by Anke Ehlers' group at Oxford University has had major impacts on the treatment and outcome of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The group developed and validated a psychological model of the key factors that lead to PTSD. A novel form of cognitive therapy (CT) that specifically targets these psychological processes was then developed. Randomised controlled trials showed that CT is highly acceptable and highly effective in recent-onset and chronic PTSD, in adults and children. It is one of the recommended first-line interventions in the NICE PTSD guideline. It has been made widely available in the NHS through Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), and is being disseminated in other countries. Separate research by Ehlers showed that a previously leading treatment, debriefing, was ineffective, leading to it not being recommended by NICE.
Research at UCL developed a `screen and treat' model for dealing with mental health problems in the aftermath of disasters. This was successfully implemented after the London bombings in 2005. The strategy was shown to be very effective in detecting individuals in severe psychological need, and those screened and referred within the programme benefited substantially from evidence-based treatment. Since then, the model has been adopted in planning for major incidents in the UK and abroad. The screening instrument developed at UCL is in widespread use around the world.
This case study describes the policy and practice impacts of a series of studies by Claire Fox and colleagues on children's and young people's social and emotional wellbeing, in particular counselling provision in schools and domestic abuse prevention education. The research on the effectiveness of school counselling has been used by the Welsh Assembly to argue for a national roll-out of counselling in Welsh secondary schools. It is also being used by those responsible for commissioning counselling services in England and Northern Ireland. The research on young people and domestic abuse (DA) centres on the evaluation of a particular DA prevention programme delivered in North Staffordshire by local charity Arch. This organisation has benefited substantially from the research findings in terms of sustaining their work in schools. The research has also had a broader impact in terms of influencing UK, and European, policy on DA prevention education in schools.