A Framework for mental health research - GOV.UK

1 Chapter headingA Framework for mental health researchDecember 2017 Contents 1 ContentsForeword 21. Executive summary 42. mental health of the UK population mental health in the UK mental health of children and young people in the UK Cost of mental health problems to the UK The Five Year Forward View of mental health and the role of research and innovation in driving change Process of Framework development 133. Why mental health research matters mental health research in the UK the opportunity for improvement Case studies 164. Public involvement and making research matter Involvement in research 195.

2 Working group summaries: mental health research opportunities Introduction Basic science Translational research Population and health services Children and young people 236. Barriers and opportunities Life-course approach Patient and public involvement mental and physical health Co-ordination and infrastructure Data, informatics and virtual populations Flexible funding Emerging interventions and alternative settings Industry engagement Regulation and governance Capacity building 307. Conclusion and recommendations 328. Annexes Steering group and working group membership Contributors Recent reports and reviews research priority setting in mental health 419.

3 References 4310. Acknowledgments 512 A Framework for mental health researchForewordOne in four of us experience mental health problems but many do not receive the support they need. There are stark inequalities; people living in poverty, in poor physical health , and from minority communities are disproportionately affected. As public attitudes begin to improve, and stigma starts to reduce, the need to prioritise mental health in the research community has never been the urgency and scale of this challenge, mental health research has lagged behind many other areas in terms of priority, funding, and therefore discoveries. This means that improvements in prevention and care are progressing too mental health Taskforce laid out the immediate steps that should be taken to improve support and make the most of our existing knowledge.

4 However, accelerating mental health research and creating a strong ambition for change is essential to achieve parity between mental and physical health in the longer is great, and justifiable, optimism that the UK can and should do better in mental health research . We are world-leaders in peer research and patient involvement, digital development, neuroscience and functional imaging, epidemiology, and research with children. research led programmes have shown the effectiveness of large scale access to talking therapies (IAPT), and anti-stigma programmes (Time to Change). We must build on these strengths to achieve change but we must also increase our expertise is concentrated geographically, and we must support a major push to spread this more widely.

5 We must be bold in setting clear goals to improve the prevention and treatment of mental illness, challenge the scientific community to deliver the tools for these goals, and then support them to do so. The potential is enormous research has already led to remarkable reductions in death and disability from many major physical health Framework has been developed to improve co-ordination and focus on areas where mental health research is likely to translate into significant health benefits. It has been developed in collaboration with people who have mental health problems, academics in mental health research and research funders. They have come together to identify the barriers that need to be overcome and opportunities that we must seize.

6 They found that basic foundations need to be laid so that mental health research can have been major initiatives to reach a consensus on the most pressing scientific priorities in mental health , in particular the ROAMER collaboration. This Framework does not seek to replicate these. Instead, it makes a number of recommendations which include increasing the capacity and diversity of the mental health research community, promoting innovative research in a wider range of settings, and strengthening patient and public cannot underestimate the challenge ahead. This is a first step, but there is much Foreword 3 more work needed to increase the funding available, involve more people in the research process, and ensure that new knowledge is accessible to people delivering and using services.

7 This will require close collaboration between researchers, funders, voluntary sector, and the government. As always, people with experience of mental health problems must be involved at every stage of the are grateful for the contributions of everyone who has joined in the development of this Framework . We are optimistic that the UK can make substantial short, medium and long-term advances in research leading to the essential transformation in mental Hunt, Secretary of State for HealthPaul Farmer, Chief Executive of MindChris Whitty, Chief Scientific Adviser4 A Framework for mental health research1. Executive summaryThis Framework for mental health research has been developed in response to a recommendation in the Five Year Forward View for mental health published in February 2016 by the independent mental health Taskforce.

8 It offers a collective view of how mental health research should move forward over the next decade. The UK needs to consider how research can take advantage of exciting new developments in medicine, science and technology in the coming years to make a real difference to people s lives. Implementation of research evidence is another important issue greater implementation would accelerate of the Framework was co-ordinated by the department of health between February 2016 and November 2017. This report and its recommendations reflect the discussions of the steering group, working groups, stakeholder workshops and wider engagement and builds on previous mental health research prioritisation work.

9 Details of contributors are provided in Annex health problems are widespread in the UK and affect people throughout the life-course. Section 2 describes the impact mental health problems can have on individuals, and the wider societal and economic consequences. It considers some of the socioeconomic factors which increase the risk of developing a mental health problem. It also recognises the need for research to focus on children and young people; three-quarters of mental health problems start before the age of 18. Developing a mental health problem at a young age can have life-long adverse consequences, affecting emotional and social development, educational achievement and chances of 3 Why mental health research matters emphasises the importance of research in driving innovation in mental health care and in bringing hope for the future.

10 research improves our understanding of the causes and risk factors for mental health problems, supports promotion and prevention initiatives helping people to stay well, underpins the development and evaluation of new forms of support (psychological, social, cultural and pharmacological), and provides evidence on how innovative approaches can be put into practice in the healthcare system and in wider settings. Case studies in this section illustrate the UK s strengths in mental health research and the difference UK-based research has already importance of involving people with mental health problems at all stages of research is the focus of Section 4. Involvement improves research , for example by increasing recruitment, improving study design and ensuring the use of the most relevant outcome measures.