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 ten 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. With the impact of mental health conditions increasing, it is important to understand where support is most needed. There are also big differences across the country in how easy it is to access this particular type of care.

The new NIHR funding aims to boost mental health research in regions where it is 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. 

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.

ARC NWC staff are supporting three of the nine MHRGs announced: Edge Hill, Lancaster and Huddersfield. This includes providing mentorship and co-investigator roles.