Developing eLearning Materials in Mental Health – Findings from Key Stakeholder Consultations

Background: There is a strong desire to develop postgraduate education programmes for mental health nurses that meet the needs of key stakeholders. In 2013, a group of seven European Universities came together to design... [ view full abstract ]

Background: There is a strong desire to develop postgraduate education programmes for mental health nurses that meet the needs of key stakeholders. In 2013, a group of seven European Universities came together to design eLearning materials that would be available to mental health nurses and other interested parties throughout Europe. The first phase of this project was a wide reaching consultation process with key stakeholders; mental health service users and their families, mental health professionals, family and carer organizations and current MSc in mental health students. To focus the process, three predetermined areas were chosen 1) Recovery and Social Inclusion 2) Mental Health Promotion and Prevention 3) Working with Families and Caregivers.

Aim and objectives of the study: The aim of this project is to develop e-learning materials for Masters level mental health nursing students based on the identified needs of key stakeholders. This presentation will focus on the findings from the consultations with key stakeholders.

Method: A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted and purposive sampling was used to access suitable participants in each country involved. Semi structured group and individual interviews were used to collect data using interview guides. The data was subjected to a content analysis. Ethical approval was granted from the relevant committees in each country.

Findings: The data were organized within the three predetermined themes and set within a lifespan context. There was considerable overlap between countries in terms of priorities for mental health education, including perspectives on content and outcomes. However, there were conceptual differences in terms of the meaning of recovery and mental health. In addition, participants had difficult articulating educational requirement in relation to the mental health promotion and prevention theme.

Conclusions and Implications: The next phase of the process is a critical review of the literature. This will involve using the literature to saturate or refute the content established from the consultation process. The eLearning materials will be available through open access from February 2016.