'The Home Front - engaging the armed forces on mental illness.' (360G-Wellcome-096800_Z_11_Z)

The aim of this project is to investigate, pilot and evaluate the effectiveness of using comedy with armed service personnel, as a way of: stimulating interest and engaging them in the biomedical area of mental illness (and related substance misuse); encouraging new ways of thinking about and supporting informal learning about this area. Despite the inherent occupational risk factors for mental illness within the armed forces, there is little engagement of personnel in this area due to: limited understanding of mental illness, the stigma that surrounds this area, and a culture/way of thinking among personnel which associate mental illness with signs of weakness. Engagement and participation will be achieved through: - Discussion sessions with the target group to explore their knowledge around mental illness and help inform the script development (and pitch the content and style of the show appropriately) - Including relevant contributions to the show from armed service personnel to harness the positive effect of peer learning and to help 'normalise' mental health problems, thereby challenging stigma. Evaluation will be designed in collaboration with the Institute of Psychiatry and will gather both pre and post intervention quantitative and qualitative data on armed forces personnel's: attitudes, understanding/knowledge and engagement around the biomedical area of mental illness; and participation in the focus groups and the shows. This innovative project will form new collaborations and partnerships between the armed forces, the arts, academic institutions, and the charitable sector - to pilot this creative approach to engagement, participation and education in mental ill-health.