An Ethnographic Study Exploring Football Sessions for Medium-Secure Mental Health Service-Users: Utilising the CHIME Conceptual Framework as an Evaluative Tool

Abstract

A key part of developing an understanding of 'what works' within the evolving mental health recovery evidence base is finding ways of serviceusers (and their friends and family) and practitioners working collaboratively. This interaction is slowly shifting practice, whereby care is potentially coconstructed in a setting between those involved to facilitate recovery-oriented processes. Increasingly, mental health services are appreciating the potential role of sport. This study adds to this body of literature by providing analysis of a football project in a medium-secure service context. This study also expands the methodological and theoretical scope of the literature by adopting an ethnographic approach and by utilising the CHIME conceptual framework as an evaluative tool. 47 participants were involved in the study, which included service-users, staff and volunteers. The data demonstrated that these sessions have considerable links to the CHIME processes, and can therefore be considered to enhance personal recovery for those involved.

Embedding Physical Activity into Community-Based Peer Support Groups for those Severely Affected by Mental Illness

“…As we were interested in how the structural conditions and social-cultural contexts of the project impacted on the participants' experiences, we underpinned our approach in a relative ontology (assuming numerous subjective realities) and a constructionist epistemology (our understanding is based on appreciating multiple social constructions of knowledge). This approach has been adopted in prior research investigating physical activity in mental health contexts, including studies focusing on populations affected by SMI [5,8]. This approach also appreciated the complexity of the nationwide project, with different groups of diverse membership and needs.…”

“…There is a growing body of literature on mental health and physical activity that recognises the importance of the settings, contexts, and cultures where activities take place [1], as these activities have varying 'ingredients' and may have varying outcomes [2]. Research has considered the relationship between mental health and physical activity across contexts such as (but not limited to): community settings [3,4], medium secure mental health settings [5][6][7], football clubs [8,9], and other community sport settings [10,11]. Increased physical activity for individuals affected by poor mental health has been associated with a range of physical health benefits, such as improved cardiovascular fitness, lower blood glucose, and lower body fat percentages [12].…”

“…Other research has shown that physical activity promotes personal recovery through the processes identified in the CHIME framework [16]. Specifically, physical activity initiatives can support mental health recovery through connectedness (peer support, developing relationships, being part of a community, shared experiences), hope and optimism about the future (seeing beyond their current circumstances and feeling more positive about health and recovery), developing or regaining identity (regaining a sense of self separate to mental illness, benefits to social identity), provide meaningful activities (physical activity being personally important to participants in relation to health and recovery), and empowerment (volition in choosing whether to attend, opportunities for decision-making within sessions) [5]. Physical activity interventions can also impact on social factors, such as rebuilding a social identity and being involved in active citizenship (contributing to the wider community), as well as shared decision-making and co-production (being involved in decisions about how activities are delivered) [8,17].…”

Recovery on the Pitch: Street Football as a Means of Social Inclusion

“…The study of Benkwitz et al [2] on street football, highlights how street football sessions have the potential to enhance recovery as well. Their findings demonstrate that street football has considerable links to the five recovery processes conceptualized as CHIME: Connectedness, Hope and optimism, Identity, Meaning and purpose and Empowerment [27].…”