Overview

Co-Theme leads

Research Focus

This Theme is focused on reducing premature morbidity and mortality and narrowing health inequalities by addressing the behavioural and social determinants of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It aims to develop and test innovative, evidence-based policy and clinical interventions that prevent NCDs in the general population and among individuals with mental illness. The approach integrates behavioural science, neuroscience, and public health to understand and modify the underlying mechanisms that drive both mental illness and adverse health behaviours such as poor diet, hazardous alcohol use and smoking.

Regional Context

The research is led from Oxford, in collaboration with the Universities of Liverpool and Sheffield, and supported by Oxford Brookes University. This multi-institutional partnership brings together expertise in behavioural science, epidemiology, mental health, and health policy. The collaboration enables the development and testing of interventions across diverse populations and settings, including those experiencing significant health inequalities. The integration of academic and clinical partners ensures that research findings are both scientifically robust and practically applicable within the NHS and public health systems.

Research Aims

The Theme is structured around two interrelated work packages (WPs), each addressing a distinct but complementary aspect of NCD prevention:

WP2: Targeted Interventions for People with Mental Illness
This work package aims to develop interventions that address the shared neuropsychological and social mechanisms underlying both mental illness and adverse health behaviours. The research will focus on individuals with mental health conditions who are disproportionately affected by NCD risk factors. Interventions will be co-designed for clinical use and may include digital tools, cognitive behavioural therapy enhancements, and virtual reality applications. The work will also address social adversity, including socioeconomic disadvantage and migration-related challenges, which can hinder behaviour change.

WP1: Population-Level Policy Interventions
This work package focuses on the co-design and early-phase testing of policy interventions aimed at reducing behavioural risk factors for NCDs across the general population. The goal is to develop scalable, cost-effective strategies that equitably improve health outcomes and reduce the burden on public services. Experimental platforms—including an online supermarket simulation —will be used for initial evaluation to identify the most promising potential interventions. Later-stage experiments will involve testing in real purchasing contexts and may include collaboration with food and beverage companies. Approaches to assess the impact of these interventions for those with mental health conditions will also be explored. The PRIMEtime multistate life table model will be used to appraise policy options in terms of their long-term health impact, including exploring the potential for modelling mental health outcomes.

Impact

This Theme is positioned to make a significant contribution to national efforts to prevent NCDs and reduce health inequalities. By linking behavioural science with policy development and clinical innovation, the research will inform the design of effective, scalable interventions that can be implemented across healthcare and community settings. The work will support the NHS Long-Term Plan’s goals of increasing life expectancy and reducing preventable illness. Additionally, the Theme will build research capacity by supporting the next generation of scientists focused on population health and mental health-related NCD prevention.