TY - JOUR
T1 - Stakeholders' views on volunteering in mental health
T2 - An international focus group study
AU - Pinto da Costa, Mariana
AU - Conneely, Maev
AU - Monteiro Da Silva, Fábio
AU - Toner, Sarah
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding MPdC research is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) North Thames at Barts Health NHS Trust, the East London NHS Foundation Trust, the Queen Mary University of London and the Befriending Networks in the UK; in Belgium by the Université Catolique de Louvain; in Portugal by the Hospital de Magalhães Lemos and the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar at the University of Porto; and by the European Psychiatric Association.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/3/17
Y1 - 2022/3/17
N2 - Objectives Explore the views of two main stakeholders: mental health professionals and volunteers from three European countries, on the provision of volunteering in mental healthcare. Design A multicountry, multilingual and multicultural qualitative focus group study (n=24) with n=119 participants. Participants Volunteers and mental health professionals in three European countries (Belgium, Portugal and the UK). Results Mental health professionals and volunteers consider it beneficial offering volunteering to their patients. In this study, six overarching themes arose: (1) there is a framework in which volunteering is organised, (2) the role of the volunteer is multifaceted, (3) every volunteering relationship has a different character, (4) to volunteer is to face challenges, (5) technology has potential in volunteering and (6) volunteering impacts us all. The variability of their views suggests a need for flexibility and innovation in the design and models of the programmes offered. Conclusions Volunteering is not one single entity and is strongly connected to the cultural context and the mental healthcare services organisation. Despite the contextual differences between these three European countries, this study found extensive commonalities in attitudes towards volunteering in mental health.
AB - Objectives Explore the views of two main stakeholders: mental health professionals and volunteers from three European countries, on the provision of volunteering in mental healthcare. Design A multicountry, multilingual and multicultural qualitative focus group study (n=24) with n=119 participants. Participants Volunteers and mental health professionals in three European countries (Belgium, Portugal and the UK). Results Mental health professionals and volunteers consider it beneficial offering volunteering to their patients. In this study, six overarching themes arose: (1) there is a framework in which volunteering is organised, (2) the role of the volunteer is multifaceted, (3) every volunteering relationship has a different character, (4) to volunteer is to face challenges, (5) technology has potential in volunteering and (6) volunteering impacts us all. The variability of their views suggests a need for flexibility and innovation in the design and models of the programmes offered. Conclusions Volunteering is not one single entity and is strongly connected to the cultural context and the mental healthcare services organisation. Despite the contextual differences between these three European countries, this study found extensive commonalities in attitudes towards volunteering in mental health.
KW - Europe
KW - International Qualitative Research
KW - mental health
KW - stakeholders
KW - volunteering
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85126691733
U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052185
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052185
M3 - Article
C2 - 35301203
AN - SCOPUS:85126691733
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 12
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 3
M1 - e052185
ER -