GPs supported to help patients with depression through new specialist clinics

GPs will be able to support patients with difficult to treat depression through 7 new specialist clinics across the UK, widening access to clinical assessments and new treatments.

The NIHR and Office for Life Sciences (OLS) have invested £18 million into these clinics, delivered by the NIHR Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC) Mood Disorders workstream as part of the Mental Health Goals programme.

This builds on an existing network of research clinics which work with world-leading researchers on depression.

The new clinics, part of a co-ordinated network, will act as local hubs for expert clinical assessments and clinical research studies in mood disorders. Specialists will provide treatment recommendations to patients' GPs.

These clinics will target areas in the UK with the highest levels of depression, recruiting patients from diverse communities into research trials and expanding access to new depression treatments.

7 new mood disorder clinics will be set up in:
·       Bristol - Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
·       Cambridge - Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
·       Cardiff - National Centre for Mental Health
·       Edinburgh - The Royal Edinburgh Hospital
·       Glasgow - NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
·       North London - North London Mental Health Partnership
·       Sheffield - Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust

Professor Michael Browning, the Mood Disorders workstream co-lead and Professor of Computational Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, said:

“It is an exciting time in the treatment of mood disorders as there are several new interventions being developed. This includes new types of medication, therapy, and neurostimulation techniques. This additional funding will allow us to assess these new treatments quickly and reduce the time it takes for patients to access them. In some areas in the UK, there are currently no opportunities for patients to access mood disorder clinics. The locations of the new clinics will seek to redress this imbalance.”

Professor Rachel Upthegrove, Chair of NIHR MH-TRC, said:

“The expansion of existing centres of excellence in treating people with mood disorders, and the establishment of the new centres in areas where there has previously been little support, will mean there are more opportunities for people to access detailed assessments and potentially new treatments through participation in research.

“The funding also means that more people will have the opportunity to take part — this improves the research, makes results more representative, and can improve treatment options by uncovering new ways of managing serious illnesses. This is a fantastic investment in research and capacity that will really impact people's lives.”

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

“We know that bringing specialist care and research together makes it easier for people to take part in vital studies. This expansion of mood disorder clinics will significantly increase access in previously underserved regions, offering access to innovative new treatments for hard-to-treat depression through research. I am pleased to see this new investment building on existing research and supported by NIHR infrastructure which all seeks to improve the lives of people living with mental health issues, including depression.”

Baroness Merron, Minister for Mental Health, said:

“We know that all too often, people with mental health issues across the UK are not getting the support or care they deserve. This funding is just one example of how this government is investing in effective and innovative mental health research.

“Alongside these new clinics, we are committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school in England, setting up a Young Futures hub in every community, recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers and modernising the Mental Health Act.”

This new investment builds on the £42.7 million invested in the NIHR MH-TRC last year for the Mental Health Mission, part of the OLS Mental Health Goals programme.

Image credit- Mental Health Foundation / Farid Akhtar