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NIHR launches pipeline of Mental Health Research Groups across England

  • 10 October 2024
  • 4 min read

The NIHR has announced an initial investment of £27 million to support mental health research teams in nine regions across England. The investment will give more people the opportunity to take part in mental health research, improving diversity in mental health studies. This in turn will lead to better treatments and support for people who need them most. Boosting mental health research will also help to reduce health inequalities, both by understanding the causes of poor mental health and by tackling the issue in places where it is most common.  

The funding, which is part of a larger Mental Health Research Initiative,  aims to ultimately establish up to 10 new Mental Health Research Groups in areas of the country where there is currently very little mental health research taking place. The funding will also address the challenges faced by people in areas historically under-served by mental health research.

Tackling the challenge of mental health conditions

Everyone should be able to get mental health support when they need it. With the impact of mental health conditions increasing,  it’s important to understand where support is most needed. There are also big differences across the country in how easy it is to access care.

The new NIHR funding aims to boost mental health research in regions where it’s needed most. It will deliver research that will be directly beneficial for the local communities and health and care system. It will also help encourage more researchers to focus on mental health research and work with people with mental health conditions. 

New Mental Health Research Groups

The new funding is part of a pipeline of support that aims to establish up to 10 Mental Health Research Groups (MHRGs) across England. The MHRGs will be set up in areas of England with:

  • a high burden of mental health conditions
  • limited local mental health research capacity
  • low participation in mental health research studies

Each MHRG will see researchers working closely with local communities to develop and undertake research to tackle local mental health needs.

The first two new MHRGs, situated in Hull and Bath, have been awarded up to £11m each over five years. The funding will allow the Universities to significantly develop their expertise and abilities in mental health research. It will also enable them to engage with local health, public health and social care systems to sustain local mental health research activity. They will be supported by partner Universities that already have extensive experience in mental health research.

The University of Hull will establish a new Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Research to serve Humber and North Yorkshire.  The University of Bath will focus on mental health challenges in children and young people across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire. 

Funding to develop future Mental Health Research Groups

The NIHR has also awarded development funding to several other institutions. This is designed to help them develop the teams and expertise needed to establish future Mental Health Research Groups. 

Edge Hill and Teesside Universities have each been awarded £2.5m so that they can recruit and establish mental health research teams. Smaller development grants of £150K have been awarded to five more Universities for preparatory work to develop a Mental Health Research Group application.

Further funding competitions will be open in 2025 and 2026 to award funding to future MHRGs.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said:

“Mental health issues can affect any of us. We know that more researchers and research participants will lead to better treatments and support for people and communities affected by mental health issues. These Mental Health Research Groups will target the mental health research to the areas that need it most, meaning we can quickly start to make a real difference in key areas such as young people’s mental health and addiction.”

Professor Prathiba Chitsabesan, National Clinical Director for Children and Young People’s Mental Health, NHS England, said: 

“Mental health problems are on the rise and the need for innovation in prevention and treatment has never been greater than now. Mental health research can contribute to saving lives, reducing distress and improving outcomes for our local communities. We must be collectively ambitious to achieve parity of esteem in mental health.”

Baroness Merron, Minister for Mental Health said:       

"Mental illness is one of the biggest challenges we face, but most research into these conditions hasn't reflected the breadth of experiences faced by different communities in different parts of the UK.       

"There's no 'one-size-fits-all' solution to mental health, so it's really important that health leaders in Yorkshire and elsewhere have the evidence they need, based on research, to provide the most effective care.       

"We're committed to giving mental health the focus it deserves, and this funding is a huge step forward for mental health research right across the country.” 

Full list of funded institutions

Mental Health Research Group Awards 

  • University of Bath, in partnership with the Universities of Bristol and Exeter
  • University of Hull, in partnership with King’s College London and the University of York

Mental Health Research Leaders Awards 

  • Teesside University
  • Edge Hill University

Mental Health Development Awards 

  • University of Huddersfield
  • University of the West of England, Bristol
  • University of Lincoln
  • University of East Anglia
  • University of Lancaster

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