Mental Health Mission
Our Missions
Mental Health & Wellbeing
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 £100 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 and poorer mental health and general health outcomes. The Covid -19 pandemic exacerbated the level of poor mental health conditions with effects still being realised, highlighting gaps in the mental health care system and the importance of social connections to maintain good mental health.
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.
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 and ), 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) with a focus on integrated care in youth mental health 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 for youth mental health, eating disorders, learning disorders and social and community mental health
- Global Mental Health
- Workforce research including the wellbeing of workers in different work environments (including NHS and social care workforce, the construction industry and shift workers) and optimising organisational processes or practices to improve wellbeing.
- Digital Mental Health including remote psychological intervention, AI-assisted interventions, digital phenotyping and supporting mental health co-morbidities
Mission Leads
Professor Domenico Giacco
Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust & Warwick Medical School
Professor Domenico Giacco gained his medical degree, specialisation in psychiatry and PhD at the University of Naples SUN (currently University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli").
He moved to England in 2012 and worked at East London NHS Foundation Trust as Consultant Psychiatrist and Senior research Fellow, accruing experience and expertise in research in social psychiatry at the Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry of the Queen Mary University of London.
He joined the Warwick Medical School in November 2019, and his research focuses on harnessing the power of positive social relationships and reducing social isolation of people with mental health conditions in order to improve their mental health and quality of life.
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.
Carla's teaching experience includes 7 years as Programme Director for MSc in Translational Medicine and MSc Molecular Medicine at Cranfield University and Associate Lecturer on the MSc Mental Health Sciences programme at The Open University. Carla is currently Deputy Senior Tutor supporting students on UG and PGT programmes at Warwick Medical School.
Challenges
Developing a wellbeing census infrastructure to assess and address drivers of poor wellbeing in children and young people
Youth mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and behavioural issues, are on the rise, with significant long-term impacts on educational achievement, employment, and overall quality of life. Research indicates that early intervention is crucial to mitigate these effects, yet access to effective assessment and psychosocial interventions remain limited.
Breakthroughs:
We have developed a wellbeing census in West Midlands schools, a website with psychoeducational interventions (https://breathe-edu.co.uk/) and a co-created a digital app to prevent loneliness by increasing social connections amongst university students. We also work with children with special needs and have a particular expertise in assessing and treating mental health disorders in children with learning disabilities, helping families and professionals to recognise and address their mental health needs.
Challenge Lead
Dr. Helena Tuomainen
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
Mental health problems are widespread in the UK and internationally and affect people throughout the life-course. Service demand and pressures are increasing. Challenges such as inequalities in access to care across social groups and poor experience of care remain. We are tackling key challenges for mental health services and policies such as: mental health inequalities, social isolation, family burden, self-harm prevention and delivery of acute care under legal frameworks (i.e. Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act).
Breakthroughs:
We are pioneering the development of an evidence base for AI-assisted interventions within mental health services. Our research and innovations are developed and carried out through rigorous and inclusive co-development and evaluation processes involving multidisciplinary collaborations and people with lived experience.
Challenge Leads
Professor Domenico Giacco
