Mental health charity awards new research grants

News Release, 22 June 2006

The Mental Health Foundation today announced those who have been successful in securing grants to research mental health care, treatment and promotion in the UK. The £300,000 programme is funding ten grants to individuals and non-profit making organisations in the mental health field.

• The Muslim Women’s Resource Centre in Glasgow will undertake research to discover how Muslim women feel about mental health and the barriers they face in accessing local mental health services.

• The national charity Thrive, which promotes the use of gardening for disabled people, is to examine the benefits of social and therapeutic horticulture for those with mental health problems.

• The Eating Disorder Unit at Guy’s Hospital in London will examine the effectiveness of training workshops for family members of people with eating disorders, who often lack information and have misunderstandings about the illness.

• The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry department at the University of Glasgow will assess the effectiveness of Mellow Parenting, a 14-week programme that helps parents and young children who are having relationship difficulties.

• Researchers at Loughborough University will assess whether the poor management of employees, work over load and low levels of support may worsen the symptoms of depression.

• The Child and Family Department at the Tavistock Clinic in London is to work with 60 couples to pilot the use of an intervention to tackle areas of conflict within the relationship when the couple enter parenthood.

• A team of researchers at the Vale Service User Group in Leeds are to provide Neuro Linguistic Programme training to service users and service providers. Neuro Linguistic Programme techniques are used for equipping and empowering people with skills to control their thoughts and feelings, which can help manage stress and anxiety.

• A team at Anglia Ruskin University will research how national and local policies, and funding, enables or constrains the development and mechanisms for governance within Self Help Organisations, run for and by people with experience of mental health problems.

• The University of Northampton is to research how life transitions may directly impact on the personal identity of older mental health service users.

• The Southern Derbyshire Voluntary Sector Mental Health Forum will measure the clinical governance in Derbyshire’s mental health voluntary sector organisations, covering aspects such as support and development for staff and volunteers, health and safety, user involvement, quality standards, policy and planning.

Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, says:

“We’re very excited to be starting the grants programme. We have chosen to prioritise innovative research, as we believe that this will provide a much-needed boost to the mental health field. When it comes to the treatment and care of people with mental health problems, the field needs new ideas and fresh perspectives. Through giving grants to organisations and individuals, we’ll gain new perspectives from those on ground level.”

Ends

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Notes to editors

For further information and interview requests contact please contact the Press Office on 020 7803 1128 / 1130 or email the press office 

The Mental Health Foundation is the leading UK charity working to improve services for both people with mental health problems and people with learning disabilities. It is the only charity to fund and work with both service users and providers and plays an important role in funding research and new approaches to prevention, treatment and care. The Foundation’s work includes allocating grants for research and community projects; contributing to the public debate; educating policy makers and healthcare professionals and striving to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness.