Co-PACT project audio documentary

The Mental Elf

This audio documentary accompanies an online and in person photo exhibition, which details the experiences of diverse people detained under the Mental Health Act.

Sixty people took part in the project led by Oxford University, and funded by the NIHR Policy Research Programme, which captured their reflections on the process of detention and life on a mental health ward.

The majority (73%) of people who took part in this project were from racialised populations, who are disproportionately detained under the Mental Health Act.

The exhibition includes pictures of locked doors, medication, hospitals but also outdoor spaces, nature and family.

Key findings following the photovoice project included:

• Preventative care before detention was often considered ineffective with GPs not able to respond quickly enough, though some community nurses were considered supportive and helpful
• The process of being detained could feel threatening and disrespectful, even inhuman.
• There was a lack of clear information and explanation through detainment and on a ward, which could be confusing and distressing
• Professionals who were part of detention and on wards could be hostile and even aggressive, with staff considered to be under-resourced and poorly trained.

The ‘photovoice’ project involves participants being given cameras and taking pictures, before describing and discussing what they associate with those photos.

Professor Kam Bhui said:

"The findings bring to life the challenging experiences of those living with mental illness who find themselves receiving compulsory care in crisis. We also explore the quality of care, the importance of family involvement, the lack of therapeutic environments and activities on inpatient settings, and the neglected nature of how upsetting and traumatic being sectioned can be. The co-design data already show optimism about the proposed solutions from those with lived experience."

The photovoice project is part of the Co-Pact research project in Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, which aims to improve the experiences of people detained under the Mental Health Act and reduce inequalities in the way the Act is used. Currently people from racialised populations are four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than their white British counterparts, and tend to have worse experiences and outcomes.

View the Co-PACT online photo exhibition.

This study/project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme [NIHR201704]. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

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