The REFOCUS Programme
Overview
What is REFOCUS?
REFOCUS is a 5 year research programme which aims to develop and evaluate a manualised recovery intervention for use within adult mental health community based teams in England.
Why is REFOCUS needed now?
This is the first intervention to evaluate their combined use in a coherent complex intervention in adult community mental health services in the NHS in England. Evaluation of the intervention is particularly timely given the current emphasis on recovery and the associated concept of well-being in English mental health services. The results of the trial will be of relevance to (a) developing mental health policy and associated clinical guidelines; (b) clinical practice.
Where and when is REFOCUS taking place?
- The REFOCUS research programme is taking within the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in south-east London and 2gether NHS Foundation Trust in Gloucestershire.
- The programme began June 2009 and ends June 2014.
- The REFOCUS trial is taking place within 20 Psychosis Clinical Academic Group (CAG) SLAM community teams and 9 2gether community teams.
- The trial begins March 2010 and ends September 2013.
How is REFOCUS funded?
The REFOCUS research programme has attracted £2million of research funding from National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) over 5 years from 2009 until 2014. The REFOCUS study is independent and is carried out by the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London. The views expressed in this website are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, NIHR or the Department of Health.
Who is involved in REFOCUS?
The REFOCUS programme is supported by the Psychosis CAG executive team, 2gether senior management executive team and the SLaM and 2gether Trust Boards. It is led by Dr. Mike Slade at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London. More than 874 service users and 812 staff will have taken part in the research when it is completed.
Aims
The REFOCUS study will develop:
i) recovery-focussed fidelity measures and outcome measures;
ii) manualised recovery interventions; and
iii) randomised controlled trial evidence.