Find out more about our current research studies and how you can get involved.
Dementia research studies
We value the opportunity to be involved in worldwide research studies that are funded by pharmaceutical companies. These studies are usually clinical trials that have the potential to make major breakthroughs in the treatment of long-term mental illness, such as dementia.
Our Dementia Research Unit focuses on drug development for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
We're currently conducting a number of industry-sponsored trials and has a growing reputation for setting up, carrying out and completing trials to the highest standard. We work with a range of leading pharmaceutical companies to develop breakthrough drugs that will ultimately improve services and care.
Alongside working with industry and academic partners, we believe that the people who use NHS services and those who work in the NHS, should have the opportunity to take part in, and benefit from, research.
If you would like to learn more about the type of research we do, attend events, or receive copies of our Research Magazine you might like to join our Research Network - our community of patients, staff and anyone interested in mental health research.
The National Institute of Health Research manages Join Dementia Research which is a register to help you connect with dementia research locally and nationally.
The Dementia Research Unit
The Dementia Research Unit offers patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials. Most studies examine the effect and impact of new medications on the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, or look at the way in which current medications can be repurposed to help people with the disease. Most dementia clinical trials explore ways to reduce the damage that harmful proteins cause in the brain as the disease progresses with a view to slowing down and reducing the impact that dementia has on patient’s lives.
How does it work?
Patients are usually randomised into one of two groups and may receive a new treatment or a placebo. As part of the data collection process, we use questionnaires to ask patients about the impact that the disease has on everyday life, assess their memory and cognition, and also gather information from their carer.
Although lots of safety data has already been gathered about new medications before they are used with research participants, most of our clinical studies are designed to include people in the early stages of their illness with quite mild symptoms, who are generally in good physical health. This is both to ensure patient’s safety and means that data collected is as unbiased as possible. Although some study visits can be conducted at home, most of our research requires patients to come to the clinic in Crowborough or Brighton on several occasions. Travel costs are reimbursed or we can book a taxi if this is more convenient.
Dementia affects 850,000 people in the UK and it's hoped that research will help us find a cure.
Why should I take part?
Some patients who volunteer say they are doing so to help improve treatments for future generations, as well as the potentially experiencing the benefits of new medications themselves. In addition, all of our study participants receive close physical health monitoring throughout the trials they take part in which usually includes regular blood tests, ECGs and sometimes tests such as MRI or PET scans.
Contact
If you know someone who may be interested in taking part in a clinical trial, or would like to find out more about dementia research please contact us:
Dementia Research Unit, Grove House, South View Road, Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 1HB
Call: 01892 603107
What is the study about?
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of which agitation is widely recognised as a common clinical feature. Agitation in patients with dementia is associated with increased functional disability, worse quality of life and increased caregiver burden. There are no approved treatments to specifically manage agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Current treatments include off-label use medications for other conditions however these only provide modest effectiveness therefore there is an unmet medical need for safe and effective treatment for patients with agitation in Alzheimer’s disease.
This study is looking at a drug called AVP-786, it is anticipated that AVP-786 will have a positive effect on agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s dementia. The study drug has been tested in 15 completed neuropsychiatric studies and has been safe and generally well tolerated so far. This study will assess the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of two doses of AVP-786 compared to placebo. The study will include approximately 750 participants aged between 50-90 years old. Duration of participation is approximately 20 weeks including a 4-week screening period, 12-week treatment period and one month safety follow up period. Treatment will be blinded, meaning no-one will know which treatment participants receive. Participants will undergo procedures such as blood samples, questionnaires and ECGs. Each participant must have an appointed caregiver who has direct and regular contact with them (at least 2 hours a day for 4 days a week), to provide reliable answers to questions related to the participant and also themselves.
Important information for Caregivers
Caregivers are being asked to take part in this study because the Participant requires your assistance to complete study procedures and/or attend study visits. For your participation in this study, completion of the diaries and each completed study visit you attend with the participant, you will be compensated for up to a total of £3,269.10. If you or the participant does not complete this study for any reason, reimbursement will be prorated according to the number of visits completed.
Who can take part?
- Males and females 50 to 90 years of age (inclusive) at the time of informed consent.
- Diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease according to the 2011 NIAAA working groups criteria. Either outpatients or residents of an assisted living facility, a skilled nursing home, a dementia unit, or any other type of facility providing long-term care.
- MMSE score between 8 and 24 (inclusive) at Screening and Baseline.
- Patient has clinically significant, moderate-to-severe agitation for at least 2 weeks prior to Screening that interferes with daily routine per the Investigator's judgment
Contact details
Dementia Research Unit, Grove House, Crowborough TN6 1HB
Tel: 01892 603107 (Please leave a message)
ComBining memantine And cholinesterase inhibitors in Lewy body dementia Treatment
What is the study about?
The trial will look at the use of a drug called Memantine for treatment of people with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (PDD) symptoms. The aim of the trial is to find out if Memantine treatment can help improve overall health and functioning for people with DLB or PDD.
Who is running the study?
The trial is sponsored by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust and funded by the Health Technology Assessment | NIHR
Why is the study being run?
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) are related complex illnesses with a wide range of distressing symptoms. People with DLB/PDD have worse quality of life, more complex symptoms, higher care costs, and are more sensitive to medications than people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (AChEI) are commonly used medicines that can help people with DLB/PDD by improving day to day functioning and thinking abilities. Another drug which might help is Memantine, used to treat moderate to severe confusion in AD. It may help to improve memory, awareness and the ability to perform daily functions; however, it is not clear if adding Memantine to AChEI is beneficial for people with DLB/PDD.
The aim of this trial is to find out if adding Memantine to AChEI improves overall health and functioning for people with DLB or PDD.
What will taking part involve?
If you agree to take part you will join one of two trial treatment groups for 12 months:
- a placebo (‘dummy’ drug) group OR
- a medication (Memantine) group
You will have planned visits and phone calls with the local trial team, who will ask you about your symptoms, how you feel and your study treatment.
A family member or person who knows you well will also be asked to answer questions about your symptoms and about how they are feeling.
Who can take part?
Potential participants should be currently taking cholinesterase inhibitors
Contact details
- For more information please email dementiaresearchunit
@spft.nhs.uk or call 01892 603107 (please leave a message). - Further information can be found on the study website: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/cobalttrial/
What is the study about?
This study is in collaboration between the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, and Johnson & Johnson. The purpose of this research is to determine the feasibility and costs of collecting blood from participants and to analyse the blood samples to determine blood biomarkers. The results of this study will determine the feasibility of a study on a larger number of participants to assess the relationship between blood biomarkers and signs of cognitive decline over time.
Who is running the study?
The trial is sponsored the University of Oxford and funded by Wellcome Trust and Dementias Platform UK grant (includes funding from Medical Research Council)
Why is the study being run?
Dementia can have a great impact on the lives of people living with the condition and their caregivers. As it progresses, the person with dementia will experience more difficulties and will gradually become more dependent on others. This is usually accompanied with a greater deterioration in mental processes than are experienced by the general population.
This study will consider how these changes in the memory and thinking skills, or cognition, relate to changes that can be determined from blood samples. Before we start a study with a large number of people, we are performing this smaller study to understand how participants feel about the process. What we learn from this pilot study will be incorporated into the larger study.
Why should you take part?
The results of this feasibility study are expected to be generalisable to all adults from the specified age range within the three selection populations so that a subsequent larger study can be developed.
Some participants may benefit from having a cognitive disorder diagnosed and acted on. For most there will be no direct benefit but research volunteers frequently find contribution to science gratifying.
What will taking part involve?
In this study we are going to:
- Take a blood sample
- Conduct a computer-based memory test
- Analyse the blood sample to determine the proteins (so-called biomarkers) as well as genetic factors relevant to dementia risk and store these in a database
- Collect feedback on the process of inviting participants to the study and taking the blood sample.
Who can take part?
Participants selected will be aged 50 years or older and from cognitively healthy members of the Great Minds study register, or experiencing subjective cognitive impairment and being registered with selected primary care providers, or having a diagnosis of dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment and under the care of a secondary care trust.
How can I take part?
Sign up to Join Dementia Research via this link: https:/
For more information you can email us directly via dementiaresearchunit
Contact details
What is the study about?
Memory problems and some degree of memory dysfunction are common in old age. Patients referred to memory clinics who do not meet the criteria for dementia diagnosis are mainly diagnosed with Mild cognitive impairment, subjective cognitive impairment and age-associated memory decline. Patients with these diagnoses are discharged and many are lost to follow up. The reaction, impact and outcome for these patients following diagnosis is not clearly established.
Who is running the study?
This is a joint study run with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Sussex. The chief investigator for this project is Prof Naji Tabet, Director of the Centre for Dementia Studies at Brighton and Sussex Medical School.
Why is the study being run?
The aim of this study is to understand the attitudes, views and practices of patients with memory problems but no diagnosis of dementia immediately after memory clinic assessment and a year later. We would also like to understand how the assessment may impact the patients' lifestyle practices during the year following assessment.
What will taking part involve?
In this mixed methods study, we intend to recruit patients 50 years of age and over from sites across the UK. The study is comprised of a main study and a sub-study. The main study will involve completing a baseline questionnaire measuring patients’ attitudes to the diagnosis they received at the memory clinic and their future intentions and actions in relation to their health, social and lifestyle practices.in response to their diagnosis. Patients will also be invited to complete a follow-up questionnaire to identify any changes to health, social and lifestyle practices within the year after the memory clinic assessment. For the sub-study, patients will be invited to take part in a semi-structured interview after memory clinic assessment and then within the year to gain a more in-depth understanding of their subjective experience of living with their diagnosis.
Who can take part?
Patients aged 50 years or above diagnosed with either Mild Cognitive Impairment, Subjective Memory Impairment or Age Associated Memory Loss.
How can I take part?
Please contact us for further information using the contact details below.
Dementia Research Unit, Grove House, Crowborough, TN6 1HB
Call: 01892 603107 (please leave a message)
What is the study about?
Up until now this type of MRI scanning and analysis has been limited to research projects. This study aims to find out whether these new ways of looking at MRI brain scans are useful to help with diagnosis and prognosis of memory and thinking problems. We will therefore be working with research groups and with commercial companies to design tests on MRI scans that can be used in the memory clinic.
Read this BBC news report to find out more about the study.
Who is running the study?
Cambridge University Hospital and the University of Cambridge
Why is the study being run?
New types of brain scan analysis using computer algorithms may be better than standard MRI reporting to measure changes to the brain in disease.
Why should you take part?
If there is no reason that you cannot have an MRI scan, you will be invited for a scan. If the study is successful in its stated aims, then it will help us to use these advanced MRI technologies to improve the diagnosis of brain disorders.
What will taking part involve? This would be very similar to an MRI scan you would have on the NHS. Usually an NHS MRI scan lasts 10-15 minutes, the study the scan is slightly longer, lasting around 30 minutes.
Who can take part?
All patients in whom the treating clinician considers neuroimaging to be part of the usual diagnostic pathway will be included in the study.
How can I take part?
Speak with your clinician about the study during your initial memory assessment appointment.
Contact details
Tel: 01892 603107
What is the study about?
The Time for Dementia Project is an educational programme looking to improve the understanding, attitude and knowledge of health care professionals about dementia. See our film about Time for Dementia.
Who is running the study?
Time for Dementia is led by the Brighton and Sussex Medical School as part of multi stakeholder collaboration between teaching colleagues, undergraduate healthcare students, families living with dementia, researchers, Alzheimer’s Society and other universities.
Since its inception in 2015, the programme has been delivered at seven universities and across nine different professional courses.
Why is the study being run?
The project aims to improve healthcare student knowledge, attitudes and empathy towards people with dementia and their caregivers. Additionally, the project aims to provide students with a more balanced view of what it is like to live with dementia both from the perspective of the person with dementia and the caregiver, as well as increased insight into living with other physical health problems. They will take this knowledge with them in their healthcare careers. Students taking part in the programme include: medical, nursing, paramedic, radiography, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy students.
Why should you take part?
The benefits to students and families are being comprehensively evaluated. Responses from both students and families have been positive. Families felt motivated to take part in the programme to raise awareness and increase knowledge about what it's really like to live with and care for someone with dementia. Many families felt taking part was of value to them to see the impact their involvement has on student learning. They describe the visits as fun, friendly, sociable and enjoyable.
A key long-term goal is to influence national dementia education policy and to promote the Time for Dementia programme as a new way of building understanding in dementia and other health conditions for healthcare professionals in their undergraduate training.
A comprehensive dissemination manual will be developed to advise other higher education institutions on how to deliver a similar programme to ensure optimum cost-effectiveness. The model can also be rolled out to other conditions, for example Time for Autism is currently in development and will be implemented at BSMS.
What will taking part involve?
The project involves having a pair of trainee healthcare professionals visit a family who has experience of dementia. The students visit for a two-year period through their training three times a year for 1-2 hours at a time. The students speak to both a person with a diagnosis of dementia and also a family carer. Each visit is a relaxed conversation within the person’s home where the students hear about what it is like to live with a diagnosis of dementia and what it is like to support a loved one with dementia. If you and your carer are happy to take part in the Time for Dementia programme, you may be invited to take part in the research study.
Who can take part?
People with dementia and their carers
How can I take part?
Please contact the Time for Dementia team - details below.
Contact details
If you are a family living with dementia and are interested in taking part in the programme, please contact the Time for Dementia Team:
Call: 07484 089562
Email: timefordementia
Follow us on twitter: @Time4Dementia
Find out more
Mental health research studies
What is the study about?
CATALYST aims to Co-design and test an Asset-based TAsk-sharing modeL for Youth mental health Services in deprived communitTies
Who is running the study?
The research is being run by a team of researchers from the University of Sussex and has been funded from a grant from the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration for Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The study is sponsored by the University of Sussex.
Why is the study being run?
We are interested in understanding how to best help young people who have mental health and social problems, but are not currently receiving mental health care. We aim to achieve this goal by co-designing service adaptations that make best use of ‘assets’ (people and resources) that already exist within these deprived communities.
Why should you take part?
By taking part in this study, you will help us to develop low-cost scalable potential solutions improve outcomes for young people experiencing mental health difficulties in deprived communities.
Some people in similar studies have said they have found it helpful to reflect and share their experiences.
What will taking part involve?
You will be invited to take part in an interview lasting up to 1 hour. You can also take part in the workshop lasting 2 hours.
You will be reimbursed for taking part
Who can take part?
- Aged 18 years or over.
- Holds or has recently held professional role in health or social care
- Has experience of working with youth mental health in Kent, Surrey & Sussex.
How can I take part?
Email: catalyst
What is the study about?
Can wearables & smartphones help service users manage their mental health?
We are looking for service users & health professionals to share their views. Taking part involves a one-off interview (up to 60 minutes) either in person, by phone or virtually. These views will feed into a large, multi-centre study, aiming to develop a remote digital data collection system, which will be tested it to see if it can monitor mental health and be used to predict an individual’s psychosis relapse.
Who is running the study?
The £12.5m study is being led by the University of Manchester in partnership with The McPin Foundation. Funding comes largely from the Wellcome Trust. The University of Manchester has developed a remote digital data collection system via a smartphone app which is aims to use to test it to see if it can predict an individual’s psychosis relapse.
The smartphone app will be tested across six higher education institutions and their partnering NHS trusts across the country.
Why is the study being run?
This qualitative study is looking to understand patients' and staff members' views on the potential use of smartphones and wearable devices (e.g. Fitbit or smartwatch) in managing mental health.
Why should you take part?
The insight gained could be transformative to how we manage psychosis and enable timely intervention.
What will taking part involve?
You will be interviewed by a researcher about your views (30-60 minutes) (in person, by phone, or online)
You will be paid for your time and travel expenses.
Who can take part?
People over 16 years old and with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder or in contact with Early Intervention Services.
Or
People who work in a clinical role within an NHS service that provides support for adults who experience psychosis/severe mental health problems.
Contact
Please contact the SPFT research team to take part in Sussex:
E: sybil.clifford@spft.nhs.uk or AskAboutResearch@
See more about the study from the University of Manchester
The COSI Study is looking at whether the Circle of Security- Parenting Programme (a group parenting programme) is an effective form of support which can be used by Perinatal Mental Health Services. Circle of Security-Parenting (COS-P) is a group parenting programme which aims to help parents understand their own, and their child's, emotions. This is done by providing social support and connections with other parents. We are carrying out this study to find out if this programme works and who it works best for. This will help us understand whether it should be used more widely across England.
How can I take part in this study?
• If you have a child aged 0-12 months
• If you have received a certain score on two questionnaires used by your service
• If you have not received COS-P before
Everyone in the study is randomly allocated to one of two groups. One group will receive COS-P in addition to their usual treatment. The other group will receive the usual treatment provided by their service.
Participants will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires when they join the study, and at three timepoints throughout the following year. This will help us assess whether COS-P has any effect and if there are any changes over time.
Contact
If you'd like more information on the study, please get in touch: askaboutresearch
What is the study about?
We're conducting this research to explore causes of mental illness, specifically if there are any genetic links. We're doing this through studying the serum in blood for immune and any other causes of mental illness. We'll also study the DNA in blood to see if we can identify any genetic causes of mental illness.
DNA is the genetic material that determined how proteins are made in the body. It's the material passed from parents to children and it determined inherited traits such as eye and hair colour. DNA is a long chain of chemicals which can change in sequence. A DNA polymorphism or mutation is a variation in the DNA chemical sequence that someone has inherited from their parents or has occurred spontaneously. These variations may influence the way the DNA affects the body such as increasing the risk for a disease.
Who is running the study?
Kings College London
Why is the study being run?
To enhance our understanding of the role genetics plays in the development of mental illness.
Why should you take part?
DPIM gives you the opportunity to contribute your own experiences to develop our understanding about this subject.
What will taking part involve?
You'll be asked to provide a blood or saliva sample and information about your family, medical and psychiatric medical history. A single blood sample of up to 30 millilitres (mls) (3 tubes) or a saliva sample of approximately 4 mls (1 teaspoon) is taken. The information on your family, medical and psychiatric history will be obtained from your hospital case notes or from general practitioner records and from a short interview, if needed. We'll contact a member of your clinical team and tell them in confidence that you've agreed to participate. We may also send you an invitation letter to participate in further research such as a survey or online cognitive tasks. The survey can be answered online, by post or by phone and will ask you about your current and past history of attention, and concentration.
Who can take part?
- You must be over 18 years old and have received a clinical diagnosis of either Schizophrenia or Bipolar Affective Disorder
- Control volunteers can take part provided they have no personal or family history of mental illness
- For this study, participants must be of British ancestry.
Contact
Please get in touch and one of our team will explain more about what the research will involve and book an appointment with you.
Email: askaboutresearch
What is the study about?
The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI) is a project exploring risk factors in individuals who have experienced eating disorders.
Who is running the study?
The project is led by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) BioResource Centre Maudsley (part of the NIHR BioResource), researchers at King’s College London and Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity.
Why is the study being run?
Eating disorders are severe psychiatric illnesses and are associated with one of the highest mortality rates within mental health.
EDGI is a project set up to explore risk factors in individuals who have experienced eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder or any other eating disorder at any time in their lives.
It aims to better understand the genetic and environmental links to eating disorders in order to improve treatments for current and future patients. EDGI is also part of the NIHR BioResource, which is a large panel of participants with and without health conditions, that are interested in taking part in research; with the aim to improve health and medical care.
Why should you take part?
- Taking part will contribute to knowledge about some of the causes of eating disorders. This knowledge may lead to better treatment guidelines and improve future care for patients
- EDGI is an information resource for members, therefore participants will have access to pages dedicated to providing useful information to members
- Once someone is a member, they will access to further optional questionnaires and the opportunity to take part in further research studies.
What will taking part involve?
- Providing access to your medical records
- Completing some questionnaires
- Giving a saliva sample
EDGI is also an online resource providing information, other optional questionnaires and research studies you may be interested in.
Who can take part?
Anyone who:
- Is aged 16+
- Lives in England
- Is currently experiencing or has experienced an eating disorder in the past
How can I take part?
Upon signing up, participants will be asked which NHS Trust they belong to - please enter 'Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust'.
Visit this website to take part.
Contact
Email: askaboutresearch
What is the study about?
The National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE) recommends Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of psychosis, but only a minority of people with psychosis have the chance to receive CBT. CBT is not available to most people with psychosis because it can be quite long and needs to be delivered by highly trained therapists.
The purpose of this study is to find out if a shorter version of CBT, delivered by briefly trained therapists, can be helpful for people who hear distressing voices. We will evaluate this form of CBT by comparing it to a control group who will receive no additional interventions.
Timelines
The study opened on 30 April 2022 and will conclude on 30 October 2024. The recruitment of participants is planned for the 12-month period from October 2022 to September 2023
Who is running the study?
We are running this study in collaboration with the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Pennine Care Foundation Trust, the Universities of Sussex, Manchester and Surrey, and the National Institute for Health & Care Research.
Why is the study being run?
The findings of this study will provide helpful information about ways of increasing access to CBT for people who experience distressing voice hearing.
Why should you take part?
The information we find out from this research will help provide helpful information about whether CBT delivered by briefly trained therapists is helpful for people who hear distressing voices. This will help mental health services to make decisions about what therapies should be provided for people who hear voices.
What will taking part involve?
Eligible participants will be asked to complete an assessment with a research assistant before being randomly allocated to one of the two groups within the study; one group will receive the shorter version of CBT delivered by briefly trained therapists in addition to their usual care and another group will receive only their usual care.
A further two assessments will be completed: 16 weeks after the allocation and 28 weeks after the allocation.
Participants will be paid £20 for each assessment they complete. The cost of travelling to the assessments can be repaid.
Who can take part?
People can take part if they have a diagnosis of psychosis and are currently distressed by hearing voices. In total, 130 people will take part in the study; 65 will receive the shorter version of CBT delivered by briefly trained therapists in addition to their usual care and 65 will be in a control group who will continue to receive their usual care.
Study protocol
See the protocol for GiVE 3 here
Contact details
Email: Give3@spft.nhs.uk
ISRCTN (International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number register) entry.
What is the study about?
The study is learning about how the brain changes as people with Down Syndrome get older.
Who is running the study?
Our names are Fedal Saini, Mina Idris and Sarah Pape. We are researchers working at King's College London. This study received initial funding from the Wellcome Trust, with additional funding from the EU Joint Programme- Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) and the Network of Centres of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN). The study is sponsored by King's College London.
Why is the study being run?
We are carrying out research to investigate differences in cognitive functions (brain functions) in people with Down Syndrome. We will also investigate possible genetic and biological reasons for these differences. We are collecting data from a large number of individuals with Down Syndrome to investigate some of the reasons that help to explain these differences between individuals with Down Syndrome, and why some people with Down Syndrome develop Alzheimer's disease and others do not.
Why should you take part?
The results of these studies will hopefully improve the care and treatment of individuals with Down Syndrome, and may also help to develop new treatments for Alzheimer's disease.
What will taking part involve?
Participants will be invited to our centre in South London to try brain puzzles and have a blood test. We will ask participants and their carer some questions. We will also ask participants to give a saliva sample. Finally, we will ask participants for a hair sample from their head so that we can investigate how their cells develop.
Who can take part?
We are looking for people with Down Syndrome, aged 16 and older. Participants will need to be able to understand simple instructions and do simple puzzles and games. We will include people who cannot consent themselves. If someone lacks capacity, we have to seek an opinion from a family member or carer (personal or nominated consultee).
How can I take part?
To take part, contact the LonDownS study team, by telephone: 07759422417, or by email: downsyndrome@kcl.ac.uk
Contact details:
For more information, please email AskAboutResearch
0300 304 0088.
What is this study about?
This is a survey of people's thoughts and perceptions of medical devices (technology which is used to diagnose, monitor, or treat a health condition). We're interested in hearing from everyone, those who have and those who haven’t had experience with medical devices.
This survey forms part of the Technology Integrated Health Management (TIHM) for Dementia trial which has been approved by the Health Research Authority and the London – Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee.
Who is running the study?
Surrey and Borders NHS Trust
Why should you take part?
By completing this short questionnaire, you'll contribute to the understanding of perceptions around medical devices and help shape how medical devices are used and explained to people in the future.
What will taking part involve?
Taking part is really easy. All you need to do is answer a series of multiple choice and free answer questions about your understanding of medical devices. The survey is online and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Who can take part?
Anyone aged 18 or over and willing to provide informed consent. We are interested in hearing from everyone over 18, those who have and those who haven’t had experience with medical devices.
How can I take part?
For more information and to take part please click here
or cut and paste this link into your browser: https://
If you need help completing this survey, please contact the Sussex Partnership Research team: E: AskAboutResearch@spft.nhs.uk
Contact
If you have concerns about any aspect of this study, please contact the Chief Investigator, Professor Helen Rostill on 01372 21616.
If you'd prefer to speak to someone not directly involved with the study, contact Olga Balazikova, Research and Development Manager on 01932 723310.
This study aims to see how many people with psychosis may have a specific problem with their immune system. We can find out that by testing your blood sample for specific antibodies.
Who is running the study?
The study is sponsored by the University of Oxford. The study will take place in over 40 NHS mental health Trusts in England and Scotland and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is pleased to be a site for this study.
Why is the study being run?
There is some evidence that some cases of psychosis may be caused by a specific problem with the immune system. If the immune system goes wrong it may cause conditions called ‘autoimmune’ diseases. We can diagnose some of these diseases using blood tests. If a problem with immune system is found, then you may be eligible to take part in an additional study called SINAPPS2. In the SINAPPS2 study we are testing a new treatment that may help people who have psychosis due to their specific problem with their immune system.
Why should you take part?
It is your decision whether you take part. If you agree to take part, you are free to withdraw at any time without giving a reason.
You may/may not directly benefit from taking part in this study. However, if you did have a positive blood test, it would mean your doctor may suggest starting different treatment to help your symptoms as most immune diseases are treatable. The advantages then are the possibility of a new diagnosis or more accurate monitoring of your current condition.
What will taking part involve?
You will spend around 15 minutes with a member of the research team asking you questions about your problems. You will have a 23 ml (approximately one and half tablespoon) sample of blood taken. We will pay you £10 to compensate for the time and inconvenience.
Who can take part?
People referred to a mental health service as possibly having psychosis or are experiencing symptoms of psychosis.
How can I take part?
The study is recruiting participants from participating teams within Sussex Partnership. Participating teams will introduce and invite patients to participate in the study.
To find out more about the study please see the University of Oxford website here.
Contact details
Email: askaboutresearch
What is the study about?
The study is exploring the outcomes of Recovery Colleges.
Who is running the study?
RECOLLECT 2 is a five-year programme of work to better understand Recovery Colleges in England. The RECOLLECT 2 research team are made up of researchers from Kings College London, The University of Nottingham, and The University of Manchester.
Why is the study being run?
Over the last decade, Recovery Colleges have rapidly expanded. We want to explore how Recovery Colleges might benefit those that use them.
For this study, we want to explore the impact of Recovery Colleges on students, as well as explore how Recovery College characteristics affect this.
Why take part?
If you decide to take part in the study, you will receive £15 for each set of questionnaires that you complete and submit at the relevant time point either as cash or voucher.
There will be limited if any immediate / direct benefit in taking part. However, the findings may have many possible direct / indirect benefits for Recovery College staff / students in the future, such as helping to inform future service provision.
What will taking part involve?
You will be asked to complete a set of questionnaires at four time points; once when you agree to participate in RECOLLECT, then 4, 8, and 12 months later. You will be compensated with a £15 voucher for every set of questionnaires you complete.
The questionnaires should take under an hour to complete. These may be completed online, via post, or with a researcher present (in person), but may also be completed over the phone, or via video call, where you will tell the researcher your answers.
Who can take part?
You can take part if:
- You are aged 18 or older
- You are using a local secondary NHS mental health service (e.g. a community mental health team or assertive outreach team)
- You have attended no more than one introductory Recovery College course or workshop.
How can I take part?
To take part, email us at askaboutresearch
Contact
For more information, contact the RECOLLECT team at RECOLLECT
Why is the study being run?
Anorexia Nervosa (AN) can have a serious and severe impact on individuals and those around them. Recommended psychological interventions are typically not found to be helpful by people with AN who often have difficulties for a long time, and have regular periods of relapse. Due to this, there have been calls for new therapeutic approaches. Research suggests that voice-hearing experiences are common in those with AN and that over time, a relationship is formed with what is often called the “Anorexic Voice” (AV) or the “Eating Disorder Voice” (EDV). Individuals’ beliefs about and ways of relating to their AV may be a factor in the development and maintenance of AN. Our research aims to explore the potential for a targeted psychological therapy called Relating Therapy to reduce the distress associated with voice-hearing experiences within the context of AN. Relating Therapy targets the negative relating that can maintain voice-related distress and teaches assertiveness as an alternative response.
Who is running the study?
Sussex Voices Clinic, part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
It is funded by Canterbury Christ Church University (UK) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (UK)
What are the benefits/risks of taking part?
Although the therapy being evaluated within this study has been found to be acceptable and effective for people with different mental health problems, it has only been delivered to a small number of people with AN before. For this reason, we do not know whether it will be helpful for people with AN. Participants will help us to learn if Relating Therapy will be helpful to people with AN, and this will help mental health services when they are planning what therapies they offer. Participants may find that talking about the AV can be helpful, though it can also sometimes feel difficult or distressing. The therapists will be trained in the treatment of AN and distressing AVs and will help participants cope with any temporary increases in distress, should this occur.
What will taking part involve?
All participants will be offered Relating Therapy over a period of 24 weeks. Participants will be asked to complete different questionnaires before, during and after receiving the intervention to help us better understand the impact of receiving this therapy. The study will run from December 2022 to April 2023.
Who can take part?
Adult patients with AN who have reported distressing experiences with an AV.
How can I take part?
Contact study lead, Professor Mark Hayward at mark.
What is the study about?
We wish to understand what service users think about using digital devices like a smartphone or wearable device to help manage their mental health.
The current study focusses on gathering detailed survey data from service users with psychosis and mental health staff, examining their views about the utility and acceptability of complex digital remote monitoring systems. Preliminary Patient and Public Involvement work and unpublished data found a mixture of quite polarized views among stakeholders, suggesting that a survey with a large number of participants is needed to better understand the digital inclusion/exclusion rates, barriers and facilitators to digital health tool adoption in mental healthcare, and a more nuanced understanding of service user and stakeholder views on active and passive symptom monitoring methods.
Who is running the study?
The University of Manchester
Why is the study being run?
Closing the ‘digital divide’ is key to digital strategies, and it is unclear whether this divide continues in people with psychosis. The study team also aim to identify the strengths and challenges of deploying digital health tools from both staff and service user perspectives.
Why should you take part?
There are unlikely to be direct benefits to you of taking part in the research but the information you give will help the study team to develop new ways of helping people who use mental health services. Service users will be given the option to be entered into a £50 prize draw (using vouchers) and Healthcare professionals the option to be entered into a £20 prize draw (using vouchers).
Participating in the survey is completely voluntary, and there is no obligation to do so. Also, if you decide to take part, you are free to withdraw at any point without providing a reason, without detriment to yourself.
What will taking part involve?
Service Users:
Service users will first be asked some screening questions such as their age and mental health diagnosis or involvement with mental health services to confirm their eligibility. If they are not eligible, they will be provided with contact details of a study team member should they want to discuss this further.
They will then be able to complete the survey (either online or in paper format). The survey will ask about their opinions and use of digital devices and how they can be used in mental healthcare. The survey takes between 20 – 30 minutes to complete. All their responses will be anonymous, and there will be no way of identifying them from the questions in this survey.
Healthcare Professionals:
Healthcare Professionals will first be asked some screening questions such as their age, occupation, and the service they work in. If they are not eligible, they will be provided with contact details of a study team member should they want to discuss this further.
They will then be able to complete the survey (either online or in paper format). The survey will ask their opinions and use of digital devices and how they can be used in mental healthcare. The survey takes between 20 – 30 minutes to complete. All their responses will be anonymous, and there will be no way of identifying them from the questions in this survey.
Who can take part?
Service Users:
Service users over 18 who have either received a diagnosis, or treatment for, psychosis or schizophrenia or unusual distressing experiences (e.g. hearing voices, having unusual beliefs), and are able to understand and speak English.
Healthcare Professionals:
Healthcare professionals over 18 who provide care for individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, psychosis or any other mental health problem which includes psychotic experiences (e.g. unusual experiences like hallucinations or delusions).
How can I take part?
Simply go to the link below or scan the QR code
Service Users:
https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_0rn0prFHg3gtcjA
Staff:
https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_3IZM3zC6bmy7Lmu
Contact details:
Name: Dr Daniela Di Basilio
Contact details: daniela.
If you would like help to complete the survey, please contact:
leanne.
What is the study about?
In this study, we want to see if Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (shortened to EMDR) is better than other treatments for helping people with a learning disability, to remember bad things without them feeling as upset as they usually do.
Who is running the study?
The study is managed by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The person in charge of looking after the study, known as the Chief Investigator is Professor Paul Willner.
Why is the study being run?
Sometimes people with learning disabilities are badly treated, or have bad things happen to them. This can mean that they sometimes suffer from a condition called post-traumatic stress disorder (shortened to PTSD). People with PTSD are often frightened that bad things might happen again, and it can stop them from going out and enjoying life to the full. This study will be looking at a treatment that works quite well for some people with PTSD. This treatment is known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
In this study, we want to see if EMDR is better than other treatments for helping people with a learning disability, to remember bad things without them feeling as upset as they usually do.
Why should you take part?
It is up to you to decide whether or not you want to take part in this study.
In this study you will have the opportunity to talk about things that have happened to you in the past and you may find it useful to have someone to talk to about what happened and how you feel. You will also help us to know if EMDR does help people with learning disabilities and PTSD, and this could benefit people with learning disabilities in the future.
What will taking part involve?
If you're eligible for the trial, you will either have EMDR or the usual treatment that the psychologist or therapist would usually give someone (known as standard care).
Altogether, we will ask you and your carer to complete the questionnaires four times:
- before the start of your treatment
- after 4 months of treatment
- after 8 months of treatment
- and another 6 months later.
Each time we do this it will take about an hour.
Who can take part?
People with a learning disability who have been referred for treatment of PTSD to a team that is taking part in this study can take part. We would also like to ask some questions to the carers of people participating in the study. Carers will only be invited to participate if the person they care for has given us permission to talk to carers about them.
How can I take part?
The study is recruiting participants from participating teams within Sussex Partnership. Participating teams will introduce and invite patients to participate in the study.
Contact details
Lauren Mose
Email: askaboutresearch