Background
Mental health problems are diverse and can have a substantial effect on the quality of life of those affected and their support networks. Common mental health problems like anxiety and depression can affect anyone, with one in six adults in England having experienced a mental health problem in the past week . Mental ill-health, also, has an economic burden of at least £117.9 billion annually, with cost estimated to be largely due to employment challenges and required support from health and social care services.
NHS England Demand Signalling
Demand Signalling aims to identify, prioritise and outline the most important research questions and innovation challenges that need addressing to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan. The commitment and vision to improving mental health services is further detailed in the NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan. The NHS England Demand Signalling Team – an experienced, diverse, collective of professionals and people with lived experience of mental ill-health – used a process of iterative workshops and evidence reviews (adapted Delphi method) to refine the areas of unmet need and to set research priorities in each mental health priority area. The Mental Health Demand Signalling Report summarises the key evidence gaps and the rationale for the identified research priorities.
Mental Health Demand Signalling Research Priorities
The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme is interested in funding high quality research that has the potential to improve the organisation, delivery and quality of health and social care services. The following research priorities, identified by the Mental Health Demand Signalling exercise and originally outlined in the Mental Health Demand Signalling Report, are of particular relevance to the HSDR Programme. Research proposals should address one or more of these research priorities (for further background information please see the Mental Health Demand Signalling Report).
The following were ranked as the most important research priorities in each mental health priority area of relevance to the HSDR Programme:
- Mental health inequalities: How to enable people from marginalised groups, to access community and primary mental health services at the earliest opportunities?
- Workforce: What are the organisational factors associated with the effective implementation of a peer support work programme in mental health services?
- Digital technology for mental health: How can digital health interventions increase reach, access, and outcomes for marginalised groups (e.g., Black and ethnic minorities)?
- Challenges utilising outcome data: Learning from other services (such as IAPT), how can we ensure that better quality data (completeness, content and transparency) is collected and utilised to improve the effectiveness of other mental health services?
The following were unranked yet key research priorities in each mental health priority area of relevance to the HSDR Programme:
- Mental health inequalities: How do we develop, and integrate, cultural competence training and generate a more diverse pipeline of mental health professionals?
- Workforce:
- What are the most appropriate service delivery models (in terms of staff competences and interventions), to effectively treat mild to moderate eating disorders in community settings?
- What type of post-qualification training programmes are associated with the development and maintenance of cultural and organisational competences in the mental health workforce?
- Digital technology for mental health: What impacts (positive and negative) will the adoption of digital technology in mental health services have on access to services, capacity, waiting times, preferred appointment times, attendance and cost-effectiveness?
Additional Comments
Please take note of the following studies within the NIHR portfolio to ensure that research proposals do not directly overlap with, and may build upon, existing/ongoing studies:
- Culturally-adapted Family Intervention (CaFI) for African Caribbeans with schizophrenia and their families: A feasibility study of implementation and acceptability
- Co-production and evaluation of a schizophrenia e-learning resource to improve knowledge about schizophrenia and engagement with services in African Caribbean families
- Pharmacy Homeless Outreach Engagement Non-medical Independent prescribing Rx (PHONEIx) community pharmacy based pilot randomised controlled trial
- Safe inhalation pipe provision (SIPP): A mixed method evaluation of an intervention to reduce health harms and enhance service engagement among people who use crack cocaine in England
- The Cost-Effectiveness of models of care for young people with Eating Disorders
The NIHR portfolio also includes a number of existing/ongoing studies that explore the utility of peer support workers in NHS mental health services; research proposals should avoid overlaps and may build upon these:
- New Ways of Working in mental health services: assessing and informing the emergence of Peer Worker roles in mental health service delivery
- Enhanced discharge from inpatient to community mental health care (ENRICH): a programme of applied research to manualise, pilot and trial a Peer Worker intervention
- ENRICH into practice: informing the successful introduction of peer workers into mental health services (ENRICHMENT)
- One-to-one Peer support for family members and friends of patients treated under the mentAL health act (OPAL)
- A peer-delivered disclosure course as an intervention to combat the stigma of psychosis: intervention refinement and feasibility
Research Inclusion
The NIHR is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture, as outlined in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy 2022-2027. We, therefore, encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and communities. We are committed to having leadership and teams that contain diverse skills and experiences.
All NIHR research proposals need to demonstrate that they have met the requirements of the Equality Act (2010). Researchers should consider being diverse and inclusive in the design, planning, conduct, impact, and dissemination of their research study.
NIHR also welcomes partnerships between research active and other less active institutions and those located in geographical areas of deprivation. Applicants are also expected to pay attention to populations that have been underserved, to conduct research in locations where the need is greatest.
General Guidance
The HSDR Programme supports applied research with the aim of improving both health and social care services across the nation and is open to any appropriate methodological approaches to answer the proposed research question(s); the approach must be fully explained and justified. To enhance the success of a research proposal, a clear theory of change and pathway to impact, with links into the NHS and social care services delivery, is suggested. It is useful to consider in the research study design how outcomes could be scaled up to maximise impact and value for money across the NHS and social care services – the focus is on applied research with tangible impacts that improve the quality and organisation of health and social care services. This includes stakeholder engagement and the development of processes, tools, and guidelines to strengthen workforce capacity. Please see the HSDR Progamme webpage for further general information.
Research proposals should be co-produced with national organisations, professional bodies, health and social care service professionals, and service users. Links with health and social care planners and professional bodies are required to ensure impact and scaling up of research findings to benefit the wider health and social care system.
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact across the health and social care system. As this research may be conducted during the COVID-19 response and recovery period, applicants should consider how the impact of the COVID-19 response and recovery may affect the deliverability of their research.