GlobalMinds - currently one of the biggest and most detailed mental health studies in the world - aims to help transform the understanding, prevention, and treatment of different mental health conditions.
The study
The GlobalMinds study is creating a world-leading digital library of health information, biological samples and genetic data to support future mental health research.
The study aims to recruit 50,000 participants across England and Wales who live with depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and related mental health conditions.
Researchers will use this resource to gain new insights into mental health conditions. This will support future discoveries that could improve diagnosis, treatment and care.
To take part, people can sign up online and complete a questionnaire about themselves. They then provide either a blood or saliva sample from the comfort of their own home.
The recruitment challenge
Recruiting participants for mental health studies at scale is complex. Approaching patients in healthcare settings can be overwhelming or triggering for them. Traditional site visits can also be high friction and burdensome for staff and participants.
The study team in GlobalMinds therefore looked to patient-centric, decentralised recruitment pathways for a method that prioritised patient well-being while delivering recruitment at scale. That’s why they worked with Be Part of Research.
Simple setup and collaborative support
Working alongside a dedicated contact at Be Part of Research, the study team used standardised, ethically approved templates to describe the study and refine the patient invitation wording as part of the email outreach.
Lauren Heaton, Clinical Research Associate for GlobalMinds, said: “Due to the nature of the patients we’re looking for, attending clinics isn't always the right option. I was looking back at recruitment methods I had used in previous studies, and that’s when I came across Be Part of Research.”
“The process was really smooth and communication was excellent throughout. It was fantastic to see how many patients were keen to take part through this route.”
- Lauren Heaton, Clinical Research Associate, GlobalMinds
Be Part of Research offers a distinct model where volunteers actively sign up to be contacted about research in areas relevant to them. This pre-existing trust resulted in rapid volunteer uptake without requiring repeated follow-ups.
Connecting with interested participants
To date, the platform has successfully connected the study with hundreds of interested participants.
- Substantial boost to recruitment - 505 participants enrolled directly as a result of the Be Part of Research outreach so far (over a 4-month duration)
- Reaching thousands of potential participants through email - 25,101 emails have been sent out, with a conversion rate of 2%
Lauren said: "Be Part of Research is different in the way that patients have actually stepped forward and said, 'I would like to be a part of research in this specific field. It's almost like the patients are coming to you rather than you having to find the right participants through traditional recruitment routes."
"We saw quite a quick uptake as well. Sometimes when you reach out to patients, it can take multiple attempts to build that trust. We haven’t had this with Be Part of Research, which is amazing. It means they've already got that trust built with the community."
Why commercial studies should use Be Part of Research
Lauren believes that Be Part of Research is a powerful recruitment tool for commercial sponsors and researchers seeking to run studies in the UK.
She said: "In my opinion Be Part of Research is an invaluable recruitment tool. It’s great to see a platform that supports commercial studies like GlobalMinds and helps connect patients with research opportunities that are relevant to them.
“I’d strongly recommend the service. When running future studies I'll absolutely be asking Be Part of Research to support us again.”
Find out more about which studies can use Be Part of Research and complete our study registration form to get started.
