The cross-ARC series of three webinars coming up in May, June and July looks at mental health in the context of some of the most topical themes of our times. In each webinar you’ll hear from the mental health researchers themselves talking about their work and what it means. Each webinar is a fantastic opportunity to get up to speed with the latest research and connect with others interested in these themes.
Webinars take place from 1pm-2pm online on the following dates:
- Wed 17 May Mental health and world crises. Eventbrite link.
- Wed 21 June Mental health and social inclusion. Eventbrite link.
- Wed 12 July Young people’s mental health. Eventbrite link.
Register to attend on Eventbrite.
1. Mental health and world crises
Three short talks cover research looking at mental health in the context of pollution, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. This webinar is chaired by Prof Colin Drummond of ARC South London who leads the cross-ARC Mental Health Implementation Network (MHIN). NIHR senior investigator Prof Drummond is Professor of addictions psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London and a consultant psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Talks include:
- NIHR ARC South London’s Dr Ioannis Bakolis on how exposure to air pollution affects mental and physical health, and how this affects communities unequally
- NIHR ARC Northwest London’s Prof Mala Rao on the impact of the climate crisis on mental health and the rise of eco-anxiety in young people
- NIHR ARC Oxford and Thames Valley’s Dr Jennifer Wild on supporting hospital and paramedic employees during and after COVID-19 and implementing effective treatment for NHS staff
2. Mental health and social inclusion.
Three short talks cover research looking at mental health in the context of ethnicity, migration and homelessness.
This webinar is chaired by Prof Emily Oliver who co-leads the Mental Health special interest group in ARC North East and North Cumbria and is a Professor of Behavioural Sciences at Newcastle University. Her research interests focus on the interplay between physical and mental health and motivation, with a particular focus on how interventions and policy approaches can support those facing varying forms of social exclusion.
Talks include:
- NIHR ARC West Midlands’ Prof Domenico Giacco on improving access and experience of care of people from minority ethnic groups
- NIHR ARC Kent Surrey and Sussex’s Patrick Nyikavaranda on his PhD project investigating care pathways in mental health for newcomer populations, specifically females from refugee, asylum seeker and forced migrant backgrounds
- NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria’s Emma Adams on mental health in the context of homelessness and/or substance misuse. She has led co-produced research with homeless people around their experiences of accessing mental health support, particularly during COVID-19 lockdown
3. Young people’s mental health.
Three short talks cover research looking at children and young people’s mental health in the context of social media, parent-led CBT and gathering new research ideas from those with lived experience.
This webinar is chaired by ARC East of England’s Prof Tamsin Ford, CBE, who is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. She is an internationally renowned Child Psychiatric Epidemiologist who researches the organisation, delivery and effectiveness of services and interventions for children and young people’s mental health.
Talks include:
- NIHR ARC North Thames’ Dr Ruth Plackett on the relationship between social media use and the mental health of young people
- NIHR ARC East of England’s Brioney Gee on work helping to get evidence-based psychological interventions into schools and families to reduce inequalities in access and outcomes for mental health of children
- NIHR ARC South West Peninsula’s Dr Gretchen Bjornstadt on gathering ideas for new research questions from young people with experience of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), their parents and clinicians
About NIHR ARCs
The network of 15 NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (NIHR ARCs) is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR ARCs support applied health and care research across the country.
For more information and to find your local ARC, see the NIHR ARCs website join our monthly national newsletter and follow us on Twitter @NIHRARCs.