Around 1 in 4 adults experience at least one mental health problem a year in the UK. Many children - around 1 in 10 - also live with mental health illness.
And those who don't experience it themselves, often know and care for people who do. To help tackle this, the NIHR funds a vast programme of mental health research across the UK.
Researchers work to understand how and why mental health conditions develop. They also develop and test new and improved treatments for common conditions.
NIHR-funded research tackles national priorities and areas of unmet need in the community. It draws on close links with patient groups, mental health partners, the NHS, and charities.
Preventing mental health problems in children
Development Language Disorder (DLD) affects how a child uses and understands language. Children with DLD are more likely to find it difficult to control their feelings and behaviour. They can also experience slow progress at school.
An NIHR-funded study looked at the social and play skills of young children with DLD. It showed that children with good social and play skills develop fewer behaviour or mental health problems as they grew up.
The study suggests that play and social activities can allow children to practise key relationship skills. These skills include taking turns and regulating emotions. Building stronger relationship skills could significantly help to prevent mental health issues in young children.
The study team suggested that services aimed at improving social and play skills could benefit these children. More research could also improve how we support children with DLD throughout their development.
Understanding the link between loneliness and depression
Depression is a big public health problem in older adults. Research suggests it affects up to 9 out of every 100 people worldwide. Loneliness has also become more common since the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Research has looked at the link between loneliness and depression in people who are aged 50 and over. This has helped us to better understand the connection between the two.
The study found links between loneliness and an increased risk of experiencing depression. This increased risk persists for up to 12 years. On top of this, the study suggests that depression can be more severe when people are lonelier.
The researchers suggest that mental health support can help with loneliness. It can also reduce the risk of depression. Finding ways to increase a person's connection with their community was also recommended. The team highlighted social activities and psychological therapies as potential solutions.
Using technology to overcome psychosis
People living with psychosis make sense of reality in a different way to those around them. This can include seeing or hearing things that other people can’t, or believing things that don’t appear to be true.
People with psychosis often have intense fears about being outside in everyday situations. These fears can become so bad that people avoid leaving home. This can disrupt their relationships, education and careers.
The largest trial of virtual reality (VR) therapy for mental health shows that VR can help people get back to living a normal life outside their home. The gameChange VR programme delivers treatment for people to use in their own homes.
The study involved 346 patients with psychosis. It allowed them to experience everyday situations using VR. These included being in a doctor’s surgery, café, pub, shop, street or on a bus. The study found that gameChange VR was most helpful for those who found it hardest to leave the house. It also helped people with symptoms like severe anxiety, depression, delusions and hallucinations.
Improving quality of life for heart disease patients
More than a third (37%) of people with heart disease experience anxiety or depression after a heart attack. This can increase their risk of further heart problems and impact their recovery. Depression can also be harder to treat when a person is living with other health conditions.
The MCT-Pathway study evaluated metacognitive therapy (MCT). This therapy helps patients learn new ways of reacting to their negative or distressing thoughts. The study aimed to discover whether MCT can help patients who feel anxious or depressed after a heart attack.
The study found that 1 in 3 heart disease patients with anxiety or depression felt better with the help of MCT. This was regardless of the severity of symptoms or their mental health history.
The findings are a big step towards understanding and improving the recovery for heart disease patients. The findings could help cardiac rehabilitation services to be even more effective.
Getting talking therapies to the people who need it most
Talking therapies can help people with common mental health illnesses to manage their condition. They include treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Currently, many patients in acute mental health wards do not receive talking therapies.
A recent study looked to find ways to improve access to talking therapies. This study followed guidance from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This recommended patients on mental health wards should have access to talking therapies.
The study team interviewed patients from acute mental health wards. They also interviewed mental health staff and carers.
Most interviewed patients did not receive talking therapy while staying on a mental health ward. This was for many reasons, including staff capacity and prioritising other treatment methods.
All groups involved in the study believed the challenges to accessing talking therapy could be overcome. The study team recommended several ways to achieve this. This included basing psychologists on wards and training staff to deliver talking therapies.
Tackling phobias effectively
CBT is usually delivered over several brief sessions across a few weeks. While multiple-session CBT is effective, it is expensive. It also takes time and appointments can be hard to get.
A study looked at whether a single 3-hour CBT session could be as effective as several sessions for young people with phobias. Researchers claim this was the first study of its kind delivered in a clinical setting.
Over 260 children and young people from 12 NHS trusts in England took part in the trial. The results showed that children were just as able to cope and grow in confidence after 1 session, as they were after several sessions. Also, the single-session treatment costs, on average, £300 less per person.
Over 170 clinicians in England can now deliver single-session CBT treatment. This is a direct result of the study's success. The study team is hoping this will bring us a step closer to standardising this type of care across the country.
How you can get involved with research
Sign up to Be Part of Research to be contacted about a range of health and care research. Or check out our full list of studies to see if one is right for you.
And if taking part in a study doesn’t feel right at the moment there are other ways to get involved in research.
