More than words – intergenerational participation and mental health
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/20428301111186813 |
| Pages | 175-182 |
| Published date | 17 November 2011 |
| Date | 17 November 2011 |
| Author | Amy Ball,Rivkah Cummerson |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
More than words – intergenerational
participation and mental health
Amy Ball and Rivkah Cummerson
Abstract
Purpose – The paper aims to describe intergenerational participation work undertaken at Sussex
Partnership NHS Foundation Trust with young and older people using mental health services where
participants learn how to interview, role play, and put radio shows together.
Design/methodology/approach – In this case study, younger and older people reflect on age and
mental health discrimination through the production of radio programmes.
Findings – Radio provided fun and the acquisition of new skills, resulting in a product that could reach a
wide audience. Intergenerational work gave participants an opportunity to challenge stereotypes and
gain confidence, with positive effects on personal recovery and social inclusion.
Social implications – The radio programme invites listeners to challenge their own prejudices in
relation to age and mental health.
Originality/value – The project is innovative in its intergenerational approach, its partnership between
the NHS and an outside media facilitator, and the collaboration between participation workers across
health departments.
Keywords Mental health services, Participation, Discrimination, Intergenerational, Partnership working,
Involvement
Paper type Case study
The ‘‘geriatric at 65’’ and the ‘ ‘young hooded hooligan’’, the ‘‘nutcase who has lost her
faculties’’ and the ‘‘bullied for being weak’’ are all characters in two radio shows created by a
group of younger and older people currently accessing mental health services in East
Sussex. Over one weekend in September 2010, five older and four younger people –
ranging in age from 14 to 85 – explored their personal experiences of, and reactions to, age
and mental health discrimination through the medium of radio. Facilitated by Doug Lyons
(community radio specialist) and Amy Ball and Rivkah Cummerson (participation workers at
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust), participants learnt how to interview, role play
and put radio shows together. They also had their own ideas about different age sets
challenged and learnt how to get their very important message across.
In the account below, Amy and Rivkah guide us through the process of intergenerational
participation and, using quotes from the two shows and feedback from the participants, bring
forth the voices of the people who took part. Age does matter, but maybe not as you know it.
Introduction
In this paper, we will briefly introduce the role of the participation worker, set the context for
the radio project, and describe the main stages in our project. We hope to offer you some top
tips for intergenerational involvement activity, sharing with you our individual reflections on
working with the intergenerational group and, most importantly, try and give you a flavour of
what was said and discussed by the participants.
DOI 10.1108/20428301111186813 VOL. 15 NO. 4 2011, pp. 175-182, QEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308
j
MENTAL HEALTHAND SOCIAL INCLUSION
j
PAGE 175
Amy Ball and
Rivkah Cummerson are
both Participation Workers
based at Sussex
Partnership NHS
Foundation Trust in
East Sussex, UK.
For more information on the
project: following the success
of the radio project, the authors
are currently working together
on facilitating more
intergenerational involvement
at St Anne’s community
services in Hastings,
East Sussex.
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