Starting this blog is not the only brave thing I have done today. I have also decided to change the focus of my research slightly. It is possibly not the wisest of moves as I have ethical approval and have registered the PhD with a particular focus. However I don't believe the change is fundamentally different from my original intention, if anything it is sharpening the focus. I also believe that this change is the most honest thing to do as I really feel the new direction is vitally important.
My original proposal was to look at disabled people's access to the professional placement element of programmes such as Social Work, Nursing, Speech and Language Therapy and Probation. I still want to keep this focus on the placement environment because I believe it is fundamentally overlooked in legislation, guidance and policy. Students on placement find themselves as student and employee in an environment that doesn't quite accept them as either. However, I want to concentrate on issues of mental health within this environment and not on disability more generally. I believe mental health is an area that is misunderstood within society generally and when looking at areas where there are fitness to practice stipulations and health checks it becomes even more difficult.
The disclosure rates for students with mental health issues are very low and this does suggest to me that there is a lot of work to be done in this area. I would like this research to address why the support is lacking and the barriers remain.
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