Rethink Mental Illness Manchester Group

Researchers at the University of Manchester are now planning a new research study to help families where there is a parent with severe mental health difficulties. The researchers would like to hear about the experiences of families with a child of up to around 10 years of age who might be having difficulty in bringing them up. Are you a parent with a severe mental health difficulty? Or are you are a family member helping to support someone with mental health difficulties to raise their children e.g. a grandparent or other family carer? Would you be prepared to spend an hour with a researcher either in-person or by phone discussing your views and experiences to help us design a good study aimed at helping others? Confidentiality will be respected. Local travel expenses will be reimbursed and you are offered payment of £10 as a token of appreciation. For further details or to arrange a discussion please  contact Yvonne Awenat by email.

To mark the day, our national charity Rethink Mental Illness has launched a new guide, No Decision About Us Without Us, on how you can have a voice and ensure that local commissioners understand the needs of the communities they serve, especially within the NHS reforms which are due to come in next April. The guide has been coproduced with the Government and links to the Mental Health Strategy Implementation Framework that was launched this summer. To read the full story and download the guide visit the Rethink Mental Illness Website . It's also our monthly meeting tonight at Manchester Carers Centre from 6 - 7.45pm. Professor of Child and Family Psychology, Rachel Calam, is coming to talk to us about a new research study to help families where there is a parent with severe mental health difficulties. We'll put up a separate post about the research study.