Because we are independent, and take an inclusive approach to mental health, we carry out research in areas neglected by others - such as diet, talking therapies, and exercise.
We also have the political muscle and campaigning experience to ensure our results lead to real on-the-ground improvements - our research doesn’t sit on dusty library shelves, it’s out there saving and transforming lives.
Since we started our Up and Running? campaign to promote exercise for depression, nearly four times as many GPs have started referring their patients to exercise schemes - a massive change in just a few years.
But we can’t keep doing this research without your help. The Mental Health Foundation was formed because our founders were frustrated at the gross under-funding of research into mental illness. Sadly, we still face the same problem - mental health research accounts for just 6% of the UK’s total spend on health research.
Please make a donation so that we can keep developing the knowledge that transforms the lives of people with mental health problems.
Clare's story
Research is crucial in helping people like Clare. When Clare became severely depressed, she didn’t have the energy to draw the curtains, let alone leave the house. “Depression scuppered every aspect of my life,” she says. “It was just one big mess.”
After almost 10 years of struggling on medication, Clare was referred for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It was just six sessions, but for Clare it was revolutionary. Encouraged by her therapist, she started running in her local park, and soon her depression lifted. “Exercise and CBT changed my life.
But without the research that proves they work, I wouldn’t have got this type of treatment, and I might never have recovered.”
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