MENTAL SKILLS TRAINING (MST) FOR LIFE

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1 MENTAL SKILLS TRAINING (MST) FOR LIFE Dr Jennifer Cumming, University of Birmingham

2 UK YOUTH HOMELESSNESS Affects 80,000 young people each year Economic cost > 2 billion Family reasons is leading cause 50% are not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) / Homeless Link, 2014

3 MENTAL HEALTH High levels of: Psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression, PSTD, psychosis) Substance abuse Suicidal ideation, attempts & completed suicides Multiple diagnoses Edidin et al., 2012, Child Psychiatry Hum Dev

4 Support workers & LSW team Safe & affordable housing Mental Skills & Life Skills Training Education, Training, & Work Opportunities Psychologically-informed environment Wrap around & intensive support

life domains for the purpose of enhancing quality of

5 The systematic development and application of mental techniques and intra/interpersonal skills to a range of life domains for the purpose of enhancing quality of participation, self-confidence, resilience, and well-being.

6 MENTAL SKILLS FOR LIFE Resilience Future-mindedness Hopefulness Confidence Attentional control Determination Emotional control Teamwork

7 INFLUENCE OF SPORT & POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY More focused on strengths than weaknesses More focused on empowering than disempowering More focused on solutions than problems More focused on present & future than on past

8 PROGRAMME AIMS Help young people to recognise and use their strengths to: Be more resilient Improve perceptions of self-worth Enhance mental well-being

9 PROGRAMME AIMS Transfer Develop Self-regulation skills Coping skills Interpersonal skills Implement Protective factors to promote resilience Education Employment Training the confidence I found in myself to do activities is the confidence I feel I need to move on to my next step-which is hopefully to find a job or volunteer Young Person

10 DELIVERY MODEL MST for Life Groupwork Experiential learning Psychologicallyinformed enviornment

11 TYPICAL SYLLABUS Session Topic Location 1 Introduction St Basils 2 Future selves poster St Basils 3 Strengths profile St Basils 4 Birmingham Safari City centre 5 Dream Team St Basils 6 Cake sale planning St Basils 7 Cake sale Uni of Bham 8 Warm fuzzies St Basils 9 Capture the flag Cannon Hill Park 10 Portfolio building St Basils

12 + 4 day residential course (Raymond Priestley Centre, Coniston Waters, Lake District)

13 WHO ATTENDED? Age = 16 to 23 years (M = 19) 74.5% female 98% English as 1st language Ethnicity 2% 17% 26% 55% Black African/Caribbean/British White Dual Hertidage Asian Time at St Basils: 1 weeks to 2 years 57.5% NEET 21% in full-time education 14% employed full or part-time 6% on training scheme

14 ATTENDANCE

15 ENGAGEMENT Completely engaged Not at all engaged

16 GENERAL REACTIONS & ENJOYMENT "I enjoyed doing the activities very much" "I would recommend the MST programme to a friend" "Overall, the MST facilitator was excellent" "I intend to use the mental skills I developed during the MST programme in the future" 1 = COMPLETELY DISAGREE, 5 = COMPLETELY AGREE

17 PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES 25.00% 20.00% * 20.77% % Change from Week 2 to Week % 10.00% * 13.23% 12.00% 9.54% * 7.98% 7.90% 5.00% 1.37% 0.00% Engagement Perserverance Optimism Happiness Resilience Self-worth Connectedness * = significant difference; = near significance

18 I m really enjoying the programme, like it s fun, you know, it s not a standard sit down class doing work and that. Everyone s really interactive with each other -Young Person Dream team, that s really helped me because with my mental health like, a lot of the time I fail to speak out when I m feeling really low and I think the other day it was, I had a bit of a rough patch and I knew who to call, because it was, ah I ve done this, I ve sat there and I ve done this, I know who I need when I m in a crisis or when I m feeling low, so why am I not doing it? And it inspired me to pick up the phone and just make that call and it yeah, saved a meltdown, which is good. Young Person I know I m going to get somewhere. I m thinking to myself think happy and think that you re going to get it and then it will happen. And it is happening right now. Young person I have literally two jobs now, own flat coming, like literally going to view it on my birthday in a few days. You know, I ve got a girlfriend, I ve got my mates, my best friend, people around me, family who I need around me. Young person

19 Background: Presented as street homeless Criminal record Mental health problems (ESA) CASE MALE, 24 YEARS Benefits of MST & intensive support: engagement improved social & communication skills Change in mind-set legal highs (3g to 1g) self-harm & suicidal ideation

20 TAKE HOME MESSAGES 1. It is feasible to engage homeless young people in MST4Life 2. MST4Life is psychologically-informed & pedagogically-grounded 3. Initial evidence suggests improvements in mental health & engagement in EET

21 Thank you! Dr Jennifer Cumming Dr Mark Holland Dr Sam Cooley Mary Quinton Benjamin Parry Funding gratefully received from:

We worked with 12,900. clients last year. Self Help Services is a user-led mental health charity that helps people to help themselves.

We worked with 12,900. clients last year. Self Help Services is a user-led mental health charity that helps people to help themselves. Impact report 2015 Introduction Self Help Services is a user-led mental health charity that helps people to help themselves. We provide a range of support, services and opportunities for people living