Access All Areas: Carrying out ethically sensitive research to explore statutory mental health decision making

An overview of the difficulties of gaining research access to explore decision making during Mental Health Act assessments in the UK. This research used observational methods to elicit data and during the presentation I will reflect on the ways in which being a 'practitioner researcher' both aided and hindered this approach. Early research findings will be shared, shedding light on some of the issues faced by decision makers in a UK setting, and the ways in which these may impact on practice.

Charlotte Scott is a PhD student in the School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, UK. Her background is in mental health social work, working in community mental health services. Her research explores how practitioners make decisions when carrying out Mental Health Act 2007 assessments. She is interested in the impact of emotion on decision making, practice contexts, such as decision making in coercive settings, and the ways in which values and ethics inform decision making.