Research
Mental Health Promotion Initiative
MindMatters COI, the Church of Ireland’s mental health promotion project, aims to transform the understanding of and attitudes and responses towards mental health, within the Church of Ireland and the wider community. If you would like further information, please email mhp@rcbdub.org.
Mental Health promotion impacts the entire community. Therefore, the project is seeking to actively integrate with other state and voluntary agencies engaged in mental health promotion. The existing evidence does show that clergy and pastoral carers are often the first people to be approached by those experiencing a mental health difficulty, and their day-to-day activity brings them in contact with people experiencing, for example, anxiety, illness and bereavement.
Research is at the centre of this three-year project:
- This project commenced with a literature review of recent research: an extensive piece of work that describes existing attitudes towards and understandings of mental health across both jurisdictions and includes best practice initiatives which demonstrate the contribution a Church can make in promoting positive mental health.
- An all-island, representative, baseline study across the membership of the Church of Ireland was conducted between 1st May and 30th June 2021 to document understandings of and attitudes towards, mental health. There were two separate surveys, one for church members and one for clergy. In addition to the surveys, one-to-one interviews were held with the two Archbishops and ten Bishops, and focus groups with members, clergy and clergy spouses also took place.
- The analysis will inform the development and roll-out of an evidence- based training programme, which will be rolled out across the Church of Ireland with the necessary quality assurance and evaluation.
- The data collected, and feedback from training, will inform the criteria necessary to implement a programme of mental health promotion initiatives across the dioceses. The mental health promotion initiatives will be continuously monitored and evaluated.
In the final year of this project, a second study will be undertaken. The purpose of this is to measure the impact of the project (with a focus on attitudes) and evaluate the overall process. The output should include a framework to support the future development of a cohesive, sustainable, mental health strategy for the Church of Ireland.
Research Consultants
Katrina Collins from Dr. Katrina Collins Consultancy Services, and Kate Wilkinson from about|face Consulting Ltd. have teamed up to deliver this project on behalf of the Church of Ireland. Both Kate and Katrina have extensive experience in mental health and we are delighted to be working with them.
Dr. Katrina Collins
Dr. Katrina Collins. Katrina is a research psychologist from Derry but based in Lurgan, Co-Armagh. She has held academic positions in Ulster University and set up her consultancy business in 2003. Katrina has worked considerably in the area of mental health and psycho-social wellbeing in Ireland, Europe and South East Asia. She has a breadth of experience of conducting large scale country wide research projects. Katrina’s analytic skills range from a quantitative background in methods and statistical analysis through to participatory qualitative approaches that evidence lived experience in real world settings. She has published in peer reviewed Journals and presented research/ evaluation findings at national and international conferences in the areas of mental health and suicide prevention. With a very different hat on, Katrina owns and runs a café and bakery in Lisburn which she is passionate about in bringing artisan products and a community ethos to the café.
Kate Wilkinson
Kate Wilkinson. Kate is based in Inishowen, County Donegal and has been working as a management consultant since moving to Ireland from Manchester 15 years ago. Kate has a broad range of experience in Ireland the UK and internationally. More recently, she has worked extensively with the HSE supporting a range of mental health and suicide prevention projects in Ireland, as well working with many community groups and organisations to support them in delivering their aims and objectives. . Kate also has in-depth experience of designing and implementing stakeholder consultation and engagement projects, along with the associated communications. She also has broader business experience in the private, public and community & voluntary sectors which will be of value for MindMatters. Outside of her work, Kate loves gardening and is slowly learning how to get the best use of her small greenhouse and raised beds!