TWO universities in Devon are set to become key members of a regional hub for mental health research following investment from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

NIHR has awarded £11 million to create a new Mental Health Research Group, led by the University of Plymouth.

It is one of five newly created hubs across England, part of a wider £55 million NIHR initiative designed to ensure that world-class research is conducted in the heart of the communities that stand to benefit most.

The new group will move mental health research out of traditional clinical settings and directly into the South West, focusing on locally identified priorities and working alongside residents to develop a more proactive, preventative model of care.

The NIHR MHRG at University of Plymouth will focus specifically on the unique needs of the local population.

In partnership with the University of Exeter and King’s College London, the research will explore how to create a more balanced system and support people who ‘fall between the gaps’ of current services.

Professor Iain Lang, of the University of Exeter, who is involved in the new research group, said: ‘This is a really exciting development that will bring benefits to mental health services and the mental health of people across the South West and beyond.

‘The project will bring together researchers in Exeter, Plymouth, and London to increase our shared capacity to do world-class mental health research that will improve the lives of patients and communities where it is most needed’.

The MHRG will initially work to support people with serious mental illnesses, intellectual disabilities, and university students.

By embedding researchers within local community groups and primary care services, the initiative aims to reach people who have historically been under-represented in health studies, ensuring that future treatments and services are designed by—and for—the people of the South West.

Professor Richard Byng, who leads the University of Plymouth’s Mental Health Research Group, said: ‘In recent years, our work with local partners has shown there are significant challenges for our health system, as it was not set up to manage the numbers of people coming forward with requests for help.

‘Mental health staff and people seeking support tell us that there are problems which need addressing, such as rejections following referral, repeated assessments and sudden discharges.

‘Alongside this, the strengths of people seeking support, as well as community and digital assets, are not fully recognised as key parts of the whole system.

‘We will work with people across our community and staff in services to explore what is working well and less well, building the capacity to make better decisions.

‘This programme is well aligned both with the concerns of communities and with NHS policy – our aim is to help mental health services function well for everyone in the future’.