See the published version of this article at BMC Psychiatry.
This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
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Research article
Influences on participation in a programme addressing loneliness among people with depression and anxiety: findings from the Community Navigator Study
Vanessa Pinfold
mcpin Foundation
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3007-8805
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published version at BMC Psychiatry.
Background
Loneliness is common among people with mental health problems and is associated with depression, anxiety and poorer recovery. In the absence of an existing evidence-based intervention, the Community Navigator programme was developed to help reduce loneliness among people with severe depression and/or anxiety using secondary mental health services. This paper presents a co-produced qualitative analysis of the factors that appear to influence participation in this programme.
Methods
The programme consisted of up to ten meetings with a Community Navigator and three optional group sessions. It was assessed using a feasibility trial. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with participants (N = 19) shortly after programme completion, by a researcher with experience of depression and anxiety. A two-stage qualitative approach to analysis was undertaken by members of the study’s co-production working group, which included service users, clinicians and researchers, using both a narrative analysis of three interviews to produce case studies as well as a thematic analysis of all nineteen interviews.
Results
From our case study analysis, it was clear how hard it was for participants to work with their feelings of loneliness. Six themes from the thematic analysis were identified to explain both motivation to and barriers towards participation in the programme, which relate to individual and structural factors: desire to connect with others or not; finding meaningful things to do; individual’s social confidence, particularly in group settings; accessibility of resources locally both in terms of practical considerations and financial cost; timing of the programme including in relation to people’s mental health; and, relationship with the Community Navigator.
Conclusions
We found that people with severe depression and/or anxiety supported by secondary mental health services may want to address feelings of loneliness but are aware of the emotional effort this entails. Interventions to address loneliness should be developed that consider the factors that enable and hinder participation and seek to build into their programmes the necessary support structures to address what may be a major personal challenge.
Keywords
Loneliness, co-production, qualitative research, anxiety and depression, social inclusion
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This preprint is under consideration at BMC Psychiatry. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Influences on participation in a programme addressing loneliness among people with depression and anxiety: findings from the Community Navigator Study
Vanessa Pinfold
mcpin Foundation
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3007-8805
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published version at BMC Psychiatry.
Background
Loneliness is common among people with mental health problems and is associated with depression, anxiety and poorer recovery. In the absence of an existing evidence-based intervention, the Community Navigator programme was developed to help reduce loneliness among people with severe depression and/or anxiety using secondary mental health services. This paper presents a co-produced qualitative analysis of the factors that appear to influence participation in this programme.
Methods
The programme consisted of up to ten meetings with a Community Navigator and three optional group sessions. It was assessed using a feasibility trial. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with participants (N = 19) shortly after programme completion, by a researcher with experience of depression and anxiety. A two-stage qualitative approach to analysis was undertaken by members of the study’s co-production working group, which included service users, clinicians and researchers, using both a narrative analysis of three interviews to produce case studies as well as a thematic analysis of all nineteen interviews.
Results
From our case study analysis, it was clear how hard it was for participants to work with their feelings of loneliness. Six themes from the thematic analysis were identified to explain both motivation to and barriers towards participation in the programme, which relate to individual and structural factors: desire to connect with others or not; finding meaningful things to do; individual’s social confidence, particularly in group settings; accessibility of resources locally both in terms of practical considerations and financial cost; timing of the programme including in relation to people’s mental health; and, relationship with the Community Navigator.
Conclusions
We found that people with severe depression and/or anxiety supported by secondary mental health services may want to address feelings of loneliness but are aware of the emotional effort this entails. Interventions to address loneliness should be developed that consider the factors that enable and hinder participation and seek to build into their programmes the necessary support structures to address what may be a major personal challenge.
Figure 1