Supporting promotion of mental health careers and developing psychology graduate career pathways

This project supported the promotion of mental health careers within the NHS and aimed to understand why more psychology graduates were not working in mental health.

Deliverables

  • Profiled mental health roles/profession with the help of stakeholders to draw out key issues that impact mental health staff recruitment, retention and upskilling 
  • Recommendations on a selection of issues as identified by our expert reference group
  • Commissioned the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) to conduct analysis on psychology graduate career pathways

Stakeholders

Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, the British Psychological Society, universities, the Royal Colleges of Nursing and Psychiatrists, and mental health trusts and other experts across the system.

Publications

Final report – Supporting promotion of mental health careers and developing psychology graduate career pathways

We also particularly looked into the issues around diversity and career progression. More detailed reports can be downloaded below: 

Diversity – Analysis and recommendations on diversity of the mental health workforce

Career progression – Analysis and recommendations on career progression in the mental health workforce

As part of the project, we commissioned the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) to undertake further investigation into psychology graduates’ attitudes towards mental health careers. The report can be downloaded here: 

Final report – Mental Health Careers and Psychology Graduate Career Pathways – NCCMH

Appendices – Mental Health Careers and Psychology Graduate Career Pathways  – NCCMH

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