Have your say: Doing Research about Mental Health and Wellbeing in Rural Areas
- Area of Work: Policy and Research
- Type: News Item
- Published: 30th May 2024
Take part in a survey to help Community Knowledge Matters understand the priorities around research on mental health in rural areas.
How do you think research about mental health and wellbeing in rural areas should be done? What should the priorities be?
Community Knowledge Matters have developed a survey with a group of community members with a range of lived experiences including those with no previous involvement in research, alongside practitioners and academic researchers at the University of the Highlands & Islands.
They believe that anyone can do research, it doesn’t only need to be carried out in universities or by academics. They decided to put together a survey to find out how you might like to engage with future mental health research in a rural context, so that it can feel fair, meaningful and relevant to your priorities.
Not only have the survey questions themselves been collaboratively set but the working group will also co-analyse the responses, which will then be shared more widely so that it can be used to help inform future research and policy around mental health & wellbeing in rural areas. The findings will also be used to help shape their own network priorities and future programme activities.
They are particularly interested in hearing from people who live in a rural part of Scotland, especially in the Highlands & Islands. You can find out more information on their website, or fill out the survey here.
There will be a variety of question types including multiple choice, free text, and sliding scales. This could take around 30 minutes of your time.
Anyone who completes the survey will have the option to be entered into a draw for the chance of winning one of six £50 local shopping vouchers.
Answers will be anonymised and any personal information given in responses will be taken out before being shared more widely. Incomplete surveys will not be included, so if you decide not to finish it they will assume you do not want to be included in the research findings.
You will be able to save the survey and come back to it, or go back and change previous answers before you submit.
They will be sharing some initial findings from the survey at their in-person gathering in Inverness on 10 June. If you haven’t yet signed up, you can do so directly here, or there are still a few days to apply for their community bursary.
If you have any questions, please get in touch lauren@scienceceilidh.com
End of page.
You may also like:
Young people’s feedback will help NHS 24 better understand needs and improve support services.
Continue readingALLIANCE input and lived experience evidence help shape stronger, person-centred and trauma-informed maternity care
Continue readingSupporting stronger information rights, while warning delivery must work for an already stretched sector
Continue readingA new resource by Adaptation Scotland to help social care professionals integrate climate adaptation into care planning and delivery.
Continue readingRead more about the ALLIANCE response to the report on the impact of COVID-19 on the health and social care sector in Scotland.
Continue readingUp to £20 million to be delivered via Independent Living Fund to help people live in their communities
Continue readingRefined plans focus on practical measure to improve outcomes for people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence.
Continue readingMarie Curie has published new analysis showing that almost one in three people in Scotland die without the palliative care they need.
Continue readingShare your views before 19 February
Continue readingReform of the council tax system is long overdue, with the current system negatively impacting funding for services including social care.
Continue readingFirst monitoring report shows improvements in wellbeing and services alongside ongoing gaps in data and unequal outcomes
Continue readingProgress in many areas is welcome, but the budget must go further on social care, mental health and third sector support.
Continue readingThe 'joint statement on prevention' partners have issued a follow-up ahead of the 2026-27 Scottish Budget.
Continue readingEvent calls for human rights to be a priority ahead of the Scottish Parliament Elections in 2026.
Continue readingCommission raises concerns over the state of economic, social and cultural rights in Scotland
Continue readingNew online platform invites individuals and communities to shape Scotland’s path to net zero
Continue readingA survey of ALLIANCE third sector members found a worsening financial crisis arising from a range of pressures.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE has produced a briefing for the Scottish Parliament debate on BSL, taking place on 11 December 2025.
Continue readingScottish Government outline actions in response to economic, social and cultural rights observations
The plan comes in response to the Concluding Observations from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights earlier this year.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE urges stronger social care integration, a clearer prevention focus and digital inclusion at the heart of NHS Delivery proposals
Continue readingNearly half of unpaid carers cut back on essentials as financial and health pressures intensify
Continue readingNew report warns thousands spending their final months in financial hardship and fuel poverty
Continue readingIndependent expert panel review recommends major changes to align abortion law with modern clinical practice
Continue readingALLIANCE and Engender call for an intersectional and rights-based approach to underpin a national investigation into maternity services.
Continue readingThe response welcomes ambition of draft standards but identifies key gaps in inclusion and communication
Continue reading