Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04203966

Mental Health and Well-being of People Who Seek Help From Their Member of Parliament

This is an observational study to assess the prevalence of common mental disorders and alcohol use disorders in a population of individuals seeking help from their Member of Parliament (MP) in the UK.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Common Mental Disorders Alcohol Use Disorder Alcohol-Related Disorders Alcoholism Chemically-Induced Disorders Mental Disorders Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

IoPPN, King's College London

London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom

About this study

Members of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom (UK) represent the interests of their constituents. Constituents may contact their MP for assistance if they feel that they have been treated unfairly by a government department or agency, have concerns relating to their local area, or are wanting support from their MP for a campaign they are involved in. In order to fulfil their duty to constituents, MPs hold regular surgeries which allow anyone with a concern to meet with them to discuss the issue in question further. Given the role of the MP in representing people who may be in the midst of stressful events, such as a dispute, it is possible that mental health problems may be more prevalent in this population. However, at present MPs are not given any additional training in recognising mental distress, and may not know how to appropriately sign-post people to appropriate supportive services, nor do MPs receive advice in supporting such individuals. To the best of the investigator's knowledge, there have been no prior studies in this area. The findings of this study will inform initiatives to improve MP working practices, to and raise awareness of the mental health challenges faced by their constituents, with the aim of better meeting the mental health needs of constituents who attend MP surgeries in the future.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Attending selected MP surgeries (e.g. in Central Suffolk & North Ipswich)
  • Over the age of 18
  • Must be able to complete paper or online questionnaires.
  • Have consented to take part in the study

Exclusion criteria

  • Unable to complete questionnaires on their own/ unaided.

Treatment and study plan

12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)

Diagnostic Test

Structured validated screening tools to assess for the presence of CMDs, administered to participants who have consented to take part in the study by completing responses either via survey monkey, or if they prefer through paper questionnaires posted to them

WHO AUDIT (World Health Organization- Alcohol Use Disorders Inventory Tool)

Diagnostic Test

Structured validated screening tools to assess for the presence of alcohol use disorders, administered to participants who have consented to take part in the study by completing responses either via survey monkey, or if they prefer through paper questionnaires posted to them

Primary outcomes

  1. Presence of common mental disorders indicated by scores above validated cutpoints on the GHQ-12

    Time frame: Cross-sectional analysis, data was collected from September 2018, with exposures and outcomes collected at the same time points (ie. when people fill out the questionnaire). Time frame for analysis will be through to study completion.

    The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is a structured validated screening tool to assess for the presence of CMDs, administered to participants who have consented to take part in the study by completing responses either via survey monkey, or if they prefer through paper questionnaires posted to them. We will use validated cut points, individuals scoring above these (for example 4 or more on the GHQ-12) will be determined as having a common mental disorder

Secondary outcomes

  1. Presence of alcohol use disorders, indicated by scores above validated cutpoints on the WHO AUDIT tool

    Time frame: Cross-sectional analysis, data was collected from September 2018, with exposures and outcomes collected at the same time points (ie. when people fill out the questionnaire). Time frame for analysis will be through to study completion.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) AUDIT is a structured validated screening tool to assess for the presence of alcohol use disorders, administered to participants who have consented to take part in the study by completing responses either via survey monkey, or if they prefer through paper questionnaires posted to them. We will use validated cutpoints to assess for the presence of harmful and hazardous alcohol use disorders.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

King's College London

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Dec 18, 2019
Registry last updated
Mar 11, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.