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Results of the Perceptions Forum Survey 2011

Here are the Results of the Perceptions Forum Survey 2011.

The survey was distributed to Perceptions membership of 614 people, and promoted on the Perceptions website

86 members responded in total.

What are people involved in?
• The survey was only sent to Perceptions members. However, only 77% of people responding said they were members of Perceptions. 58% of people said they were members of Rethink

• A similar number of people said they had been involved in Perceptions or Rethink activities with 44% saying with Rethink and 46% saying with Perceptions.

• 12% of people had co-ordinated a Perceptions group either now or in the past. 34% of people had contributed to the Perceptions website at some time. 39% of people had attended a Perceptions forum meeting at some time and 13% of people had helped to organise events.

• 18% of people had sat on a Rethink committee at some time. 19% of people had at some point been a member of Rethink’s Service User Involvement Group.

• 54% of people had contributed to the Perceptions magazine and 27% of people had contributed at some time to Rethink’s membership magazine Your Voice.

Reasons for getting involved with Perceptions:
• The vast majority of people were involved with Perceptions to receive the magazine. This far outweighed any other reason to be involved. Other reasons were to contribute to the magazine, help others and help people’s own recovery.

• The main reasons people said Perceptions was meaningful were that it connected them to other people with similar experiences, made them feel less alone, gives people confidence, the magazine, and it helps others.

• Suggestions for what would help people to get more involved in Perceptions included local meetings, help setting up local groups, more chances to be published in the magazine as it was noted the magazine prints things by same contributors all the time, more opportunities, encouragement and support to get involved.

What should Perceptions do more of?
• The most popular things suggested Perceptions needed to do more were local groups, wider range of activities and events. Raise awareness of Perceptions to reach and involve more people. A wider range of content in the magazine including more stories of lived experience, and more issues per year.

What should Perceptions do less of?
• There was a wide range of responses were included but with the no over-riding themes, other than a few responses highlighting the need for less morbid or introspective pieces in the magazine

What does Perceptions do that’s just right?
• The overriding response was the magazine and its content were deemed to be just right.

What do people like about the magazine?
• The art work, poetry, personal stories and the ‘mixsupmouse’ comic strip.

Membership of Perceptions is meaningful?
• 80% of people feel membership of Perceptions is meaningful, with 68% saying it was a positive activity and 47% saying they could make a difference by being a member.

Service user involvement
The most meaningful ways for service users to get involved were identified as:

• 54% Perceptions, 38% local service user forums and 26% involvement in Rethink activities

• 43% of people say they are aware of ways to get involved in Rethink and 32% would like to be more involved in Rethink, with 10% disagreeing.

Rethink’s role in relation to Perceptions:
• 83% of people feel it is important that Perceptions is run by its members. 76% feel it is important that Perceptions has support from Rethink staff and 68% feel it important that Perceptions is part of Rethink.

46% Providing financial support only
43% Working in partnership to develop direction and plans for perceptions
41% Providing training for committee members and support
41% Providing administrative support
In contrast, 10% felt Perceptions should be independent of Rethink.

Demographics
• 56% were male, 34% female
• 65% were from the 41-64 age group
• 88% White/ English
• 68% heterosexual
• 84% considered themselves to have a disability related to their mental health

So, there you have it, the Results of the Perceptions Forum Survey 2011. Interesting, don't you think?