The University of Bath has been awarded £11 million to establish a Mental Health Research Group (MHRG), aiming to address the urgent mental health needs of the region and increase capacity for applied research.
This transformative funding, provided by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is part of a larger £27 million investment spread across nine regions in England.
Historically underserved by mental health research, young people in Bath North-East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire, aged 12–25 years old will have the opportunity to help shape the research agenda, and contribute to designing research activities as well as taking part in studies as participants.
Director of the Bath MHRG, Dr Pamela Jacobsen, said:
We’re focusing on prevention and early intervention because we know most mental health difficulties start in childhood and people often do not receive the help they need, at the time they need it. Our focus is on supporting key transitional periods in a young person’s life as they become young adults and experience important life events such as starting university, entering the workforce, leaving home, or forming new relationships. These are crucial times in their lives and by providing good mental health support can help people stay on the right trajectory and help them build healthier futures.
Deputy Director of the Bath MHRG, Professor Ailsa Russell, said:
This funding will have such a positive impact. It will help us discover better ways to support children and young people in improving their mental health and wellbeing. Carrying out research in partnership with young people and those who support them will result in more meaningful and impactful research.
The research will focus on four key areas:
Evaluating and implementing digital treatments for young people experiencing depression and anxiety
Improving mental health treatment for young people who have additional needs such as autism and ADHD
Developing new ways to reduce the harm smoking, drinking and drug use may cause to mental health
Finding ways to help young people who have had difficult early experiences, to stop this leading to poor mental health when they get older
The Bath MHRG will team up with experts and research leaders from the University of Bristol and the University of Exeter to deliver this research.
Children and young people and their families will be invited to contribute in partnership with local stakeholders such as NHS services, schools, colleges, charities, and social care providers. They will be involved in setting research priorities and involved in every stage of the research journey.
In addition to benefiting the local community, the funding will help encourage future leaders in mental health research to come to the University of Bath for research training, including the first integrated Clinical Academic posts with local NHS trusts for health professionals to undertake a PhD with opportunities for different professions such as psychologists, public health doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.
Professor Deborah Wilson, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences at the University of Bath, said:
Improving health and wellbeing across the life course is a key priority for our research. Building on our strong foundations in Clinical Psychology, this funding enables us to build a more multidisciplinary approach to applied mental health research, at the forefront of developing effective interventions. We are delighted to be working closely with our many partners in the NHS, schools and charities, over the long term, to build skills and capacity of professionals in this area.
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.
GW4 Alliance Director, Dr Joanna Jenkinson MBE, said:
GW4 brings together the universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. With over 200 members across the Alliance involved in our Mental Health Research Network, we share a vision for how research can drive improvement in mental health outcomes. We are delighted to see this partnership, led by the University of Bath, in conjunction with GW4 member institutions, Bristol and Exeter, which aims to build long-term, collaborative relationships and enhance knowledge exchange and applied research throughout South-West England.
The landscape of mental health in B&NES
20% of children aged 8 to 16 in England had a probable mental disorder, up from 12% in 2017. For those aged 17 to 19, the figure rose from 10% in 2017 to 23% in 2023. Source: NHS England, 2023 survey
The national picture is mirrored in B&NES. Mental health among young people in B&NES is worsening, with rising referrals to services and higher hospital admission rates
Referrals to Mental Health Support Teams for school children in B&NES doubled between 2021 and 2022
Referrals to CAMHS have increased every year since 2014, along with longer waiting times
More young people in B&NES, particularly girls, are admitted to hospital for mental health issues compared to the national average, with eating disorders and alcohol use being the most common causes
Since 2011/12, the rate of hospital admissions for self-harm among 10–24-year-olds in B&NES has consistently exceeded the national average, with 240 cases
Source: B&NES Wellbeing & Mental Health Needs Assessment June 2022