Mental Health Mission
Our Missions
Mental Health
Mental Health conditions affect almost 1 billion people globally. Individuals across all demographics can experience mental health conditions, and these may cause difficulties in all aspects of life. The impact of mental health conditions is devastating and contributes significantly to the global burden of disease. The most severe and enduring mental health conditions often onset in adolescence and early adulthood; 75% of mental illnesses emerge before the age of 25 years, and these disorders can affect people for many decades of productive adult life. In the UK, 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 10 children experience a mental health problem every year with depression and anxiety being the most common. The cost of mental health problems is equivalent to around 5% of the UK’s GDP at over £300 billion per year.
Mental health conditions are elevated in adverse circumstances and disproportionately affect people living with chronic conditions and minority communities due to multiple inequalities, socio-economic status, discrimination and stigma. Consequences include lower help-seeking, poorer self-management, social isolation and poorer mental health and general health outcomes.
Research into mental health is urgently required to address these challenges and to co-develop with service users, effective methods for prevention, early detection, intervention, and treatment. Warwick combines expertise in mental health service research, preventive programmes, implementation research, digital mental health, population mental health and health inequalities. Through strong partnerships with NHS, third sector, people with lived experience and international collaborators, we develop evidence to improve mental healthcare.
To make breakthroughs we seek to accelerate challenge-focused programmes.
Challenges
Reduce the ever-increasing mental health treatment gaps in low and middle-income countries
Implement organisational-level interventions to reduce work stress and improve mental health and wellbeing of the workforce across multiple sectors
Improving the effectiveness and delivery of mental health care and developing an evidence base for safe and effective digitalisation
We play a pivotal role within our regional Mental Health Research ecosystem through multiple partnerships. This includes hosting world-renowned experts and methodologists from across the University of Warwick and through partnership working with health and care service providers (including Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, South Warwickshire Foundation NHS Trust, Coventry City Council, Forward Thinking Birmingham, West Midlands Health Innovation Network and NIHR CRN West Midlands). The effectiveness of these partnerships is underpinned by our leading role in large-scale NIHR investments including the West Midlands Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) and the NIHR Coventry Health Determinants Research Collaboration
We work closely with service users and their families to transform the well-being of individuals and positively influence their communities, and the broader economy
We have demonstrated national and international impact in mental health and wellbeing research spanning:
- Psychosocial interventions and mental health service transformation
- Global Mental Health
- Workforce mental health research across NHS, social care, the construction industry and shift workers
- Research to support children with intellectual disabilities and their parents
- Digital Mental Health including remote psychological interventions, AI-assisted interventions, and digital phenotyping
Mission Leads
Professor Domenico Giacco
Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust & Warwick Medical School
Professor Domenico Giacco is Professor of Psychiatry at Warwick Medical School and Associate Medical Director for Research at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. His research focuses on improving mental health services through better continuity of care, therapeutic relationships, psychosocial interventions and the responsible use of digital technologies. His work combines mental health services research, intervention development and evaluation, implementation science and co-production to generate evidence to support innovative approaches to improve recovery, social participation and quality of life of people living with mental health conditions. He has held leadership roles in major national and international programmes funded by the NIHR, UKRI and the European Commission.
Dr. Carla Toro
Warwick Medical School
Carla Toro studied for her PhD in Neuroscience and continued as a Research Fellow at the Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester investigating disease mechanisms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.
Carla's current research includes leading the Warwick Pilot Mental Health Interventions (part of the Midlands Engine funded Mental Health and Productivity Pilot) and a wellbeing project for construction workers. Carla is also Deputy Director for the Warwick Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing Research.
Challenges
Improving the organisation, effectiveness and equity of mental health services
Mental health services face increasing demand, workforce pressures and persistent inequalities in access, care, experiences and outcomes. Despite advances in the evidence base, many people experience fragmented care and unequal access to effective support. Research is needed to develop, evaluate and implement innovative models of care and service delivery that improve the organisation, effectiveness and equity of mental health services.
Breakthroughs:
We have led national and international studies on continuity of care, therapeutic relationships, psychosocial interventions, culturally responsive care and implementation of evidence-based practice across mental health services. We have developed and evaluated models of care that promote continuity of care, support family involvement, strengthen best practice in acute mental health care and improve access and experience of care for minoritised ethnic groups and migrants. Working in multidisciplinary academic groups and closely with NHS partners, people with lived experience and policymakers, we aim to improve the organisation, effectiveness and equity of mental health services, supporting better recovery, social participation and quality of life for people living with mental illness.
Challenges
Reduce the ever-increasing mental health treatment gaps in low and middle-income countries
Mental health treatment gaps are particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where resources are scarce, and stigma often prevents individuals from seeking help. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 85% of people with mental health disorders in these regions do not receive treatment.
Breakthroughs:
We are improving access to mental health care and reducing the impact of serious mental disorder outcomes in slums. We are currently developing a screening and intervention programme in schools in different LMICs.
Challenge Leads
Professor Swaran Singh
Challenges
Implement the organisational-level interventions to reduce work stress and improve mental health and wellbeing of the workforce across multiple sectors
Workplace stress is a growing concern across various sectors, leading to increased risk of developing mental health disorders such as depression, decreased productivity, higher turnover rates, and increased healthcare costs.
Breakthroughs:
Our researchers have delivered and evaluated several psychological and digital interventions to improve mental health and productivity in workplaces across the Midlands. Learnings have led to the co-development of novel innovative interventions for hard-to-reach groups such as shift workers with sleep problems who are traditionally excluded from receiving the most evidence-based treatment for insomnia (CBTi). Another hard-to-reach and underserved group are workers within the construction industry where suicide rates are 3 times higher than other sectors. Forming the key research arm within a partnership with industry, government and voluntary sector bodies, we are identifying the unique stressors and relevant interventions to tackle the mental health crisis within construction. We are also co-developing a longitudinal wellbeing survey with NHS workers at a local NHS Trust which will add depth to the standard cross-sectional annual NHS Staff survey and help senior leaders identify what works and what additional provisions are needed to support staff wellbeing.
Challenge Leads
Dr. Carla Toro
Challenges
Improving the effectiveness and delivery of mental health care and developing an evidence base for safe and effective digitalisation
Digital and artificial intelligence technologies offer opportunities to improve access, assessment, communication and personalised support in mental healthcare. However, their adoption must be guided by robust evidence on clinical effectiveness, safety, acceptability, accessibility and equity. Research is needed to ensure that digital approaches complement therapeutic relationships, respond to the needs of diverse populations and can be implemented responsibly within routine services.
Breakthroughs:
We develop and evaluate digitally supported interventions, artificial intelligence methods and technology-enabled approaches to mental healthcare. We developed and tested innovations to support people with enduring mental health conditions, parents of children with behaviours of distress and people engaging with psychological interventions.
