Collection GB 0100 KCLCA IOP/BEF - Institute of Psychiatry, Befriending Project

15 boxes, 1.5 cubic metres

GB 0100 KCLCA IOP/BEF 1991-1995 collection 15 boxes, 1.5 cubic metres King's College London , Institute of Psychiatry , Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry

The Befriending Project was established in 1991 by Professor George Brown and Dr Tirril Harris, based at the Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry Department of the Institute of Psychiatry, later part of King's College London. This was a randomised controlled trial, comprising two stages. The project investigated whether befriending could improve remission rates from chronic depression.

The first stage of the project comprised interviews; the sample patients were divided into three groups and given ID numbers; these were: the intervention group containing 60 patients, the control group containing 60 patients and a group of 56 volunteer befrienders.

During the second stage of the project those in the control group, who had been followed up and found not to have recovered, were offered befriending and many accepted. These patients were given a second ID number and formed part of the second stage intervention group; new participants and new control group members joined the project at this stage.

Professor George Brown's teams used psychosocial measures originally developed to explain the onset of depressive episodes, factors which might also perpetuate disorder, including the LEDS (Life Events and Difficulties Schedule) with SLEDS (Shortened Life Events and Difficulties Schedule), Professor George Brown and Dr Tirril Harris, 1978; the SESS (Self Evaluation and Social Support Schedule), Brown et al, 1986, 1990; the COPI (Coping with Severe Events and Difficulties Interview), Professor Antonia Bifulco and Brown, 1996; the CECA (Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse) with MINICECA, Bifulco, Brown and Harris, 1994; the ASI (Attachment Style Interview) Bifulco et al, 2002 with the Bedford College version of the SCAN (Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry), Professor John Wing et al, 1990. The project spanned four years.

Transferred to King's College London College Archives from the Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, on 19 October 2007.

The Befriending Project contains the patient records of those participating in the randomised control trial, 1991-1995; most comprise two files per respondent; one baseline and one following-up a year later.

These files comprise the majority of the collection (14 boxes), most containing rating schedule crisis support reports, self assessment questionnaires and forms filled in by interviewers. These files may include assessment forms concerning parental care in childhood, physical/sexual abuse in childhood, institutional stay in childhood, coping records, fixed demographic information, difficulty schedules, life events schedules, work, past experience of former husband/cohabitee, checklist of present state examination symptoms, change point record for psychiatric disorder and a follow up evaluations summarising the patient's experiences.

The remainder of the collection (1 box), comprises information about the questions posed to participants and how these questions should be phrased; the corresponding rating schedules completed for each participant, potential for befriending and data for the relationship between the befriended woman and her matched volunteer.

This colleciton is uncatalogued and is currently arranged in its accession order. Boxes 1 to 14 are arranged by patient ID number in ascending order, from B001 to B656.

The collection contains sensitive personal information and medical details and is closed under statutory rules governing data protection.

Collection closed to the general public.
English

No additional finding aids.

Accession number 510.
Sources: Harris T O, Brown G W and Robinson R Befriending as an intervention for chronic depression among women in an inner city I: Randomised Controlled Trial (British Journal of Psychiatry, 174,1999)
Harris T O, Brown G W and Robinson R, 'Befriending as an intervention for chronic depression among women in an inner city II: Role of Fresh-start Experiences and Baseline Psychosocial factors in Remission from Depression' (British Journal of Psychiatry, 174,1999)
Compiled by Samantha Velumyl. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997. January 2008 Behavioural symptoms Brown , George , fl 1991-1995 , Professor of Medicine Depression Diseases Harris , Tirril , fl 1991-1995 , doctor King's College London , Institute of Psychiatry Medical research Pathology Psychiatry

Transferred to King's College London College Archives from the Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, on 19 October 2007.

The Befriending Project contains the patient records of those participating in the randomised control trial, 1991-1995; most comprise two files per respondent; one baseline and one following-up a year later.

These files comprise the majority of the collection (14 boxes), most containing rating schedule crisis support reports, self assessment questionnaires and forms filled in by interviewers. These files may include assessment forms concerning parental care in childhood, physical/sexual abuse in childhood, institutional stay in childhood, coping records, fixed demographic information, difficulty schedules, life events schedules, work, past experience of former husband/cohabitee, checklist of present state examination symptoms, change point record for psychiatric disorder and a follow up evaluations summarising the patient's experiences.

The remainder of the collection (1 box), comprises information about the questions posed to participants and how these questions should be phrased; the corresponding rating schedules completed for each participant, potential for befriending and data for the relationship between the befriended woman and her matched volunteer.

This colleciton is uncatalogued and is currently arranged in its accession order. Boxes 1 to 14 are arranged by patient ID number in ascending order, from B001 to B656.

The collection contains sensitive personal information and medical details and is closed under statutory rules governing data protection.

Collection closed to the general public.

• anglais

• latin

English

No additional finding aids.

Accession number 510.

Accession number 510.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.

• anglais