This is an important focus for the Community and Primary Care Research Group who are particularly involved in addressing socio-economic inequalities in mental health (around 66% of people with mental health disorders live in poverty and isolation and only 12% are employed).
Projects include:
- Partners 2, a programme that has developed a system of collaborative care, based in GP surgeries for people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (Byng)
- Engager, a novel intervention for offenders with common mental health problems, near to and after release (Byng)
- DEStress, a project examining the medicalisation of mental distress caused by material deprivation and social disadvantage (Byng)
- Strengthen, a project examining whether additional support via Health Trainers is effective in improving the health behaviours and wellbeing of people receiving community supervision (Taylor)
- PHASED: a systematic review of physical activity for alcohol and substance use disorders (Thompson)
- Flourish in Nature, a project supporting 140 people in their alcohol and drug use recovery journey by providing opportunities as volunteers in natural environments (Thompson)
- e-CoachER, a multi-centred randomised controlled trial investigating the impact of web-based coaching on health-enhancing physical activity for patients with chronic physical and mental health conditions (Taylor).
The TARs study, has examined the effects of behavioural support (delivered by Health Trainers) targeting physical activity and smoking reduction, for smokers not wishing to quit, on various outcomes including six month biochemically verified prolonged abstinence (Taylor, Thompson, Callaghan, Horrell).
Much of the Group’s research on social prescribing also explores how patients with mental health needs may benefit from being connected to community resources, information and social activities, as well as linking people to a range of statutory and non-statutory agencies (Husk, Elston, Gradinger, Hazeldine, Westlake, Callaghan, Warren, Beaulieu).
Further research looks at the intrinsic link between the brain and physical health through studies of fibromyalgia (Bacon, Hyland) and pituitary conditions (Norman).
Formally launched in October 2018 and led by Professor Rohit Shankar, The Cornwall Intellectual Disability Equitable Research (CIDER), is a partnership between the University of Plymouth and Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CFT) focusing on epilepsy in people with intellectual disabilities.