News Shaping mental health research priorities in Liverpool City Region
On 10 July, M-RIC’s Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement team (PPIE) held a collective insights exercise with our service user and carer representatives and public advisors at the Bluecoat Arts Centre in Liverpool. Here Jahanara Miah, the M-RIC PPIE Lead provides an overview of the exercise and how the outcomes will influence future M-RIC research.
The aim of the exercise was to identify the key issues that impacted the event attendees and what areas they would like to prioritise in mental health research. The session involved participants working in small groups of four to six people to discuss the topics that were most important to them and then each group selected their top three.
At the end of this session, the entire group came together to present their different priorities. Then a final vote took place with each group member able to choose the topic from the list that they considered most important.
Highlighted issues
The discussions and voting highlighted several pressing issues, including:
- Long waiting lists – The lengthy waiting times for therapy and interventions were a significant concern.
- The impact of COVID19 – The unrecognised effect of the pandemic on mental health, particularly among children, was noted.
- Focus on young people – Participants emphasised the need for more attention to young people’s mental health and the importance of educating children about mental health from a young age.
- Need for peer support – There was a call for increased peer support options for individuals facing mental health challenges.
- Accessibility of services – Mental health services are spread sparsely across the region, and more access is needed. There is a noted inequality in access for minority groups, especially those at the intersection of gender and ethnicity, as well as international students.
- Suicide prevention – The need for earlier intervention in suicide prevention was highlighted.
- Primary care education – There is a need for better education of primary care doctors about mental health issues.
Ranking of top priorities
After group discussions and voting, the following priorities emerged as the most important:
- The relationship between exercise, physical health, and mental health was recognised as a key priority.
- Increasing education and access to mental health services for children and young adults, while also addressing the social determinants that create barriers, was a top concern.
- A review of the misdiagnosis of neurodiversity in relation to psychosis and mental health was deemed important.
- Understanding how culture and cultural barriers affect access to and outreach of mental health services in specific communities.
- Addressing the inequality faced by minority groups, particularly those who intersect, in accessing mental health services.
Key insights
The relationship between physical health and mental health was a recurring theme and highlighted as a key priority. Children’s education and access to services were frequently mentioned as a crucial area of focus. This exercise was an invaluable opportunity to gather insights from those directly affected by these issues and ensure that research efforts align with community needs and priorities.
Next steps
The next steps involve holding meetings with M-RIC research work package leads to present these priorities and discuss how they can be integrated/supported by the M-RIC programme of work. Additionally, efforts will be made to work with our academic and clinical team and service user and carer representatives and public advisors in securing grants and funding to support research initiatives addressing these community-identified priorities.
We have plans for developing training for the service user and carer representatives and public advisors to help them understand more about funders and the grant application process, as well as how research teams work and the process of applying for grant funding.
By aligning the M-RIC programme with insights from our service users, carers and people within our local communities, we aim to drive impactful research that addresses the most pressing mental health needs in Liverpool City Region.