Mental Health Navigators (MHN) in Wakefield are there to support tenants of Wakefield District Housing in their mental health needs and lifestyle choices. This study worked out how useful the Mental Health Navigator Programme was in Wakefield. We did this by comparing Wakefield with other selected regions that did not have an MHN service.
We found that there was a decrease in drug and alcohol-related attendances was observed in Wakefield, particularly among the most deprived and youngest demographic groups. This trend was not reflected in Doncaster and Newcastle upon Tyne suggesting the MHN might have made a difference. There were also differences in attendance were observed between Wakefield and Doncaster, attributing these changes directly to the MHN intervention remains a challenge.
The study showed that while some variables decreased in the way it was hoped, it is not possible to say that this was due to the MHN intervention.