Welcome to the latest edition of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC) Newsletter.
In this issue, you can read the latest news from the MH-TRC Mission workstreams and demonstrator sites, examples of how Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement is informing research and information on an upcoming event aiming to improve mental health outcomes for children and young people.
Foundation Year 1 Doctor Mental Health Research Taster Day(s) Programme success
The MH-TRC Mission is pleased to report on the success of its Foundation Year 1 Doctor Mental Health Research Taster Day(s) Programme 2026, delivered through the Capacity Development workstream. The Programme introduces early-career doctors to clinical academic career pathways by connecting them with leading mental health researchers. Through research “taster days” at leading research centres, doctors engaged with clinical academics, explored ongoing studies and gained valuable insight into how research improves patient care.
Trialling a "community approach" to child mental health services
A new UK-wide research project, “It Takes a Village”, will test an innovative community-based approach to improving children’s mental health services by training local people in providing support, working alongside clinicians. The five-year study, delivered through the MH-TRC Mission Children and Young People’s Mental Health workstream, aims to address growing demand, wait times and workforce shortages in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Digital innovation project wins 'Outstanding benefit to society through research' award
Watch a video about CareLoop Health below:
Early psychosis diagnosis tool launched in 3 major cities
The Early Psychosis Informatics into Care (EPICare) study has launched a national digital platform across Birmingham, Nottinghamshire and Cambridgeshire to support the care of over 2,000 people with psychosis. The patient registry tracks care data, helps clinicians and researchers identify gaps in access to support, monitors individual progress and provides automated reminders about treatment options and key milestones. The study is part of the MH-TRC Mission’s Early Psychosis workstream.
Celebrating one year of a Cheshire and Merseyside Mood Clinic
The Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC), an MH-TRC Mission demonstrator site in Liverpool, marked the first anniversary of their Mood Disorder Clinic by hosting a guided tour for service users and carers. The specialist clinic is designed for patients in Cheshire and Merseyside who have difficult-to-treat mood disorders which has received over 180 referrals since their launch in 2025. The clinic was developed with close involvement from M-RIC service users, carer representatives and public advisors, who shared their lived experience perspectives to help shape the way in which the clinic interacts with patients.
New Complex Schizophrenia clinic launches in Birmingham
Birmingham MH-TRC Mission demonstrator site, Mental Health Mission Midlands Translational Centre, has opened a new Complex Schizophrenia clinic, in partnership with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. The clinic supports people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia by providing expert assessments and treatment recommendations, helps clinical teams manage complex cases and offers opportunities for research participation.
Read more: Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust News
Webinar explores the latest evidence in bipolar disorder
New videos highlight the value of public involvement in mental health research
Four new videos, supported by the Capacity Development workstream, the University of Manchester and Charity partner MQ Mental Health Research, explore the importance of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement in research. The series highlights how lived experience improves research relevance, drives innovation through hope, builds trust in mental health data through transparency and shared decision-making, and shows the impact of valuing lived experience researchers as equal members of research teams.
Watch the videos at the bottom of the MH-TRC Linking the Public and Industry page.
New Secure Data Environment supports mental health research
The Mental Health Secure Data Environment (SDE) provides a secure, trusted platform for approved researchers to access, link and analyse de-identified patient MH-TRC data. The Mental Health SDE enables research teams across the UK to work with high-quality data while protecting patient privacy. By improving access to data and fostering collaboration, the SDE aims to accelerate discoveries that lead to better mental health treatments and care.
Join our conference exploring early intervention in child and adolescent mental health
Academics and clinicians are invited to the international conference, “Hospital to Community: Early Intervention for Child and Adolescent Mental Health”, in Glasgow on 10 November. Hosted by the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Developmental Adversity and Resilience team, the conference will focus on how evidence-based interventions can be scaled up and delivered across both healthcare and community settings to improve outcomes for children and young people.
