Mental Health

Improving the health of people living with both mental and physical health problems was identified as a priority in the NHS Long Term Plan (2019). More recently, Wellbeing and mental health: Applying All Our Health (2022) has once again highlighted the stark inequality in life expectancy experienced by people with mental ill-health.

Our aim is to address this gross health inequality: by undertaking research to better understand the causes and consequences of living with both mental and physical health problems; and by working with people with lived experience, and NHS, social care and third sector partners to develop and test new approaches, and put research findings into practice.

Our Mental Health theme is led by Professor Simon Gilbody at the University of York and Professor Scott Weich at the University of Sheffield. We have six main workstreams: Natural Environment (including human-animal interaction); Smoking and Mental Health; Social Prescribing; Bridging the Digital Divide; Health Informatics; and Youth Mental Health (joint with the Healthy Families theme).

Mental Health Projects

CoACH: ARBD – Collaborative Alcohol Care in Hull: Alcohol-Related Brain Damage

CoACH: ARBD explores alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) among hospital inpatients by assessing its prevalence and identifying care gaps. ARBD, a cognitive impairment linked to chronic, heavy alcohol consumption, is often...

ProACTIVE – Programme of research for Alcohol Care Teams: Impact, Value and Effectiveness

We’re part of a programme of research examining the clinical and cost effectiveness of Alcohol Care Teams to inform the future commissioning of services. Alcohol-related hospital admissions continue to rise,...

CoACH – Collaborative Alcohol Care in Hull

A small group of service users with alcohol dependence and co-occurring mental health and physical health problems disproportionately account for the greatest use of acute hospital admissions and emergency department...

Making a Difference: Our Latest Mental Health case studies

Meet the Mental Health Team

Simon Gilbody

Theme Co-Lead

Scott Weich

Theme Co-Lead

James Tait

Research Associate

Our latest Mental Health publications

The delivery of creative socially prescribed activities for people with serious mental health needs during lockdown: Learning about remote, digital and hybrid delivery

Use of the Internet and digital devices among people with severe mental ill health during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions

Use of a modified World Café process to discuss and set priorities for a Community of Practice supporting implementation of ReQoL a new mental health and quality of life Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM)

View our sub-themes

Patient Experience and Service Responses

Evidence is needed to improve mental health services. An essential part of this evidence is input directly from people with lived experience, family/informal carers, and health and social care professionals.

Addictions

Youth Mental Health

Positive Youth Mental Health is essential for good relationships, experience of school and for the future of young people.

Bridging the Digital Divide

Access to the internet and knowing how to use digital devices are important for everyday life and work. A stark digital skills deficit among people with severe mental illness means they struggle to access key services which are increasingly online. This theme has undertaken work to co-produce tools and resources to bridge the digital divide.

Natural Environment

This theme focuses on the inter-relationship between our natural environment and mental health.

Living with Severe Mental Ill Health and Physical Multimorbidity

The theme Living with Severe Mental Ill Health and Physical Multimorbidity is focused on improving the quality of life for these people, via coproduction of service improvements. As those with a SMI have a greater risk of having love term physical health conditions and a reduced life expectancy.

Social prescribing

The Social Prescribing sub-theme explores the delivery and impact of social prescribing on the quality of life of people experiencing mental health difficulties.