New funding for UK mental health research in under-served areas

The NIHR is investing almost £55 million in five additional Mental Health Research Groups (MHRGs). King’s College London researchers will collaborate on three of the five new groups.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, people living in the most deprived areas of England are 64 per cent more likely to experience a common mental disorder than those in the least deprived.

The new National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) MHRGs will boost mental health research in areas of England that have a high burden of mental illness and limited capacity to carry out research to tackle it. This includes people in rural and coastal communities, mothers, university students, and people who "fall through the gaps" of current services, such as those with intellectual disabilities or complex emotional needs, with a focus throughout on inclusion of marginalised groups.

The research will be embedded in local communities and focused on locally-identified mental health priorities.

The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care and Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King’s have partnered with UK universities on three of the new MHRGs. Each one is a five-year £11 million initiative.

NIHR MHRG at University of Plymouth

In the South West, the University of Plymouth will lead their MHRG in partnership with King’s and the University of Exeter.

They will work to support people in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset who face particular challenges in accessing current mental health provision, including those with serious mental health conditions, intellectual disabilities and university students.

They will also explore how advances in app technology might help people to understand and manage their mental health better, enabling them to share information with services so they don't have to repeat their story every time they see someone new.

The programme involves academic and NHS partners from the NIHR ARC South West Peninsula (PenARC), the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), the McPin Foundation, Livewell South West, the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Devon Partnership NHS Trust and Cornwall Foundation Trust.

King’s contributions will be led by Professor Rob Stewart at the IoPPN and NIHR Maudsley BRC, in collaboration with Professor Barbara Barrett and Dr Ewan Carr (IoPPN).

Professor Rob Stewart, Deputy Theme Lead of the BRC’s Informatics theme and Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Clinical Informatics at King’s College London, said: 

“It’s great to be working on this opportunity to increase mental health research capability and capacity at the University of Plymouth. With the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) team and other colleagues at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, I’m particularly looking forward to helping Plymouth assemble their excellent health records resources to achieve better services and clinical care.” 

Read the University of Plymouth announcement

NIHR MHRG at Keele University

In the North-West Midlands, Keele University will lead their MHRG in partnership with King’s and the University of Birmingham, working closely with Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

They will focus on how community and voluntary organisations and primary care services can provide better mental health support for people in under-served populations in Shropshire and Staffordshire, where conditions are also made worse in some places by high levels of poverty, unemployment and deprivation.

King’s contributions will be led by Professor Claire Henderson at the IoPPN, in collaboration with Professor Ioannis Bakolis (IoPPN) and Professors Vibhu Paudyal and Glenn Robert (Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care).

Professor Claire Henderson, Clinical Professor of Public Mental Health at King’s College London and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“At King’s we are very excited to join as a partner with Keele and Birmingham Universities to help deliver research that will benefit the local population, generate evidence for underserved populations elsewhere, and develop research capacity to extend these benefits over the long term.”

Read Keele University’s announcement.

NIHR MHRG at Lancaster University

In Lancashire and South Cumbria, Lancaster University will lead their MHRG in partnership with King’s and the University of Manchester.

More than 13,000 people in Lancashire and South Cumbria have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness, while Blackpool has the highest rate of deaths linked to addiction and suicide in England.

The team will create a Voices with Impact Hub to destigmatise mental health conditions and support and involve people who rarely take part in research. They will explore ways to support people with severe and complex mental health needs, particularly mothers and people suffering from drug or alcohol problems, whilst also trialling ways to increase uptake of Physical Health Checks at GPs.

King’s contributions will be led by Professor Emmanuelle Peters at the IoPPN, in collaboration with Professor Fiona Gaughran (IoPPN and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust), Professor Richard Emsley (IoPPN and NIHR Maudsley BRC) and Professor Annette Boaz (Policy Institute).

Professor Emmanuelle Peters, Professor of Clinical Psychology at King’s College London and Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We are delighted to be supporting Lancaster University and partnering NHS mental health trusts, local authorities and third sector in transforming mental health research capacity for adults with severe and complex mental health problems. The research will focus on tackling inequities to access to treatment and care amongst the most marginalised, under-served groups, based on a clear understanding of regional need and ensuring that lived experience voices are central.”

Read Lancaster University’s announcement.

The two other MHRG will be led by the Universities of Lincoln and Huddersfield.

More about the MHRG programme

The NIHR first launched the programme in 2023 under the broader Mental Health Research Initiative, with the goal of establishing up to 10 MHRGs.

Two MHRG awards were made in 2024:

• NIHR MHRG at University of Hull, in partnership with King’s and the University of York.
• NIHR MHRG at University of Bath, in partnership with the University of Bristol and University of Exeter.

The five new MHRGs mark a significant step in transforming access to mental health support by funding research in regions that need it the most. These awards connect universities, local health systems and communities, ensuring research reflects real-world priorities and lived experience.

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

“Mental health challenges can be isolating, especially for people in some of our most under-served regions. Community allows us to tackle isolation. By moving our research focus out of traditional clinical settings and directly into the areas where people live and work, we are driving a fundamental shift toward a more preventative model of care in the community. We are committed to ensuring that the latest innovations and support reach those who need it most, long before they reach a crisis point.”