What is the purpose of PsyGrid?

PsyGrid is a project that will provide resources to health care professionals, researchers and other people who have an interest in first episode psychosis.  It is hosted on the internet and the information that is discovered from interviewing people is stored anonymously and will be available for care-research to progress Mental Health Treatment. 

Need to include

• Leaders in the field of psychiatry and computer science working together
• Using the most up-to-date on-line technology (“e-science”) to host the database
• Eventually aiming to enable research into different aspects of first episode psychosis, such as how the illness develops, and the most effective ways for treating it. 
• Data will remain anonymous 

What is the purpose of PsyGrid Outlook?

This is the first phase of PsyGrid and is the accumulation of the initial information gathered covering a broad range of  clinical and demographic data from First Episode Psychosis clients.  The aim of this information is to facilitate further studies and assist with NHS service planning.

What is e-science?

Who is behind the project?

The Medical Research Council and the Department of Health have funded the project.  It is being co-ordinated through the Mental Health Research Network which is a clinical network of NHS Trusts and Universities throughout the country.

Why do we need access to medical records?

A lot of information is stored in medical records and it is helpful for us to be able to access this.  Sometimes records can contain information that people cannot remember.  It can also be helpful to get information which has already been provided so we do not need to ask the same questions again. However, if a client does not wish the researcher to have access to their medical records, yet wishes to participate in the study, they may specify this on the PsyGrid consent form.

Who can take part?

We are inviting people to take part in the project who have recently made contact with mental health services for help with experiences such as hearing voices or being troubled by unusual thoughts.

We are working with mental health services in the 8 study areas to identify people who have recently had help with these experiences.  People aged 16 – 65 can take part in the project, as long as they live within the study catchment areas.

What does taking part involve?

If someone decides to take part in the project the researcher will meet with them a few times soon afterwards to ask some questions and talk about their experiences. The questions are not a test and there are no right or wrong answers; we are simply interested in people’s experiences and their own views about many aspects of their mental health.

How do you keep the information anonymous?

The information people give us is put onto a secure electronic database.  When we do this we do not include the person’s name, address or other identifiable information. All records will be completely anonymous.

Why does PsyGrid have no hypothesis?

The aim of Psygrid is to enable future research. This means that specific hypotheses will be eventually be applied to the data. Interested parties will have to apply to the owners of the Psygrid data to use it in their research. For now though, as we are still collecting data for the database, no research has been conducted with the data.

Are the researchers who will work with my clients qualified to work with this population group?
All PsyGrid researchers have either a nursing or psychology background and have experience in working within mental health services.  They have experience of assessing people with mental health problems and have been trained in the specific assessment measures used in the project.

 Will the fact that my client is a PsyGrid participant mean more work for me or my clinical team?
We hope not.  The PsyGrid team are doing everything we can to reduce the impact on clinical teams.  The Clinical Research Officer will complete the assessments with the person, however we do sometimes ask for the support of clinical teams in arranging the initial contact. 

Will being involved in the study be disruptive to my client's mental health?

Every measure is taken to ensure that participants in the study do not suffer any ill-effects on their mental health as a result of their participation in the study. The PsyGrid researchers are careful to respond appropriately when a client shows signs of mental distress during an assessment session, for example, gently leading discussion away from emotive topics, or asking if the client wishes to rearrange the session for another time. Unless the client has not consented to this, the client’s clinical team will be informed of their presentation during the assessment session. It is hoped that the study will have positive benefits for the client’s mental health due to the contact with the researcher who has experience working within mental health. 

What will the clinical benefits be to clients from their participation in this study?
The results of the assessments undertaken can be shared with the clinical team with the client’s consent; we hope that this will provide information which is useful to the team. 

Who will be able to use the information?

Clinicians, such as Doctors, nurses, psychologists, as well as students and members of the public will have access to anonymous data from the database.  It is hoped that the information will assist in further research projects in the Mental Health field. Clinical teams who care directly for participants will also have access to the data. This will be passed on through each Clinical Research Officer. However, researchers who wish to use the data for ‘add on studies’ using hypothesis should apply to Helen Roberts, Clinical Project Manager (see contacts).

What questions are asked of patients?

The research team use a number of standardised assessments, which ask about many aspects of a person’s mental health.  We will ask questions about how people are feeling, including questions about their thoughts and their mood.  We will also ask people about what they were like before they became unwell, and what happened in the time leading up to their contact with mental health services.  We also ask people about the medication they are taking and how this makes them feel.