April 2022: We are pleased to say that we now have ethics approval for the WISE study fieldwork in schools. In the coming months we will work with schools to understand more about their processes for investing in mental wellbeing. Currently, we are at the stage of sampling schools and identifying potential case study sites in the West Midlands.
Alongside this we have started to conduct focused reviews of the literature to inform each of the four work packages. The reviews will identify what we can learn about:
- How process tracing methods have been applied in the health field;
- How different sources of evidence are used by schools and workplaces to guide their health investments;
- How workplaces allocate resources to mental wellbeing services;
- Individuals’ attitudes to mental health investment in schools and workplaces;
The findings from these reviews will provide important insights in their own rights, as well as helping to inform the design and interpretation of the fieldwork.
We continue to work closely with our collaborators on the project, meeting every six weeks to steer progress, as well as providing insight into our review work
If you work in a school in the West Midlands and are interested in participating in the WISE study, please contact Rebecca Johnson.
November 2021: The WISE study team has been steadily growing over the summer and autumn and, with the recent addition of PhD students Luke and Yusuf, we are now at full strength. Over these first six months, we are focusing on laying the groundwork for the project. This will include:
- Reviewing the literature in this new field, including that on process tracing, organisational theory and mental wellbeing support in schools and workplaces
- Understanding the policy and practice context for this work
- Developing study research plans
- Developing research and professional networks
- Training in health economics
We are looking forward to our first external advisory group meeting in mid-November and starting to identify our case study sites.