Eastern team invites people to be part of research this World Mental Health Day

On World Mental Health Day (10 October), Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) in the Eastern region is calling for more volunteers to take part in mental health research, to learn more about conditions and find better therapies and treatments.

CPFT is one of the top NHS Trusts in the country for delivering ground-breaking mental health studies. Researchers at the site are investigating how to identify and diagnose mental illness as early as possible, exploring risk factors for mental illnesses, and trialling new drugs. Research is integrated with clinical services to translate the latest discoveries into improved care for people using the Trust's services.

CPFT consultant psychiatrist and mental health specialty lead for the NIHR Clinical Research Network Eastern, Dr Emilio Fernandez-Egea (pictured) said: “Research is essential to improve clinical care for everyone living with mental illness. I support many people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and want to offer them every chance to try new treatments and therapies, and we have recently recruited the first UK participant for a new schizophrenia clinical trial.

“With fantastic support from the Windsor Research Unit, we are running studies that people can join now, including the world’s largest study of anxiety and depression. Many people may have experienced these common conditions during the pandemic, receiving some clinical care and treatment, and they can help us understand why some people are more at risk of developing mental illness.”

The Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) Study, led by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health BioResource and researchers at King’s College London, in collaboration with CPFT, is exploring the risk factors for depression and anxiety - which one in three people in the UK will experience during their lifetime.

Anyone over 16 who has experienced clinical anxiety and/or depression can sign up to help improve the lives of people experiencing these disorders and find effective treatments. Visit the website www.gladstudy.org.uk and say you heard about the study from CPFT to assist the researchers.

For more information about taking part in other research happening near you, visit the NIHR's Be Part of Research website.