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Blogs by Ian Bradshaw

Aug
2 2017

Research in the News
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When we wrote our last ‘Research in the News’ update in early April the General Election was not even in prospect. It’s fair to say that there has been a lot of news since. The jury is still out on the impact it will have on mental health research.

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Jul
18 2017

“Good Work” and good mental health
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Our jobs are central to many of our lives. They provide us with money; but also social interaction, an identity, a sense of worth or value. It is not surprising that our work and our mental health are often inter-connected. Generally unemployment is bad for your mental health.

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Jun
30 2017

Why I’m doing Ride London to support Mental Health Research
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Our policy manager Ian writes about why he is doing RideLondon, and the special challenges of doing it whilst in recovery from anorexia.

‘You are MAD…’

That was my Mum’s response to the news that I am doing RideLondon 100 mile bike ride at the end of July.

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May
19 2017

Manifesto Commitments To Mental Health Research Are Great – Action Will Be Even Better.
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We have reached the stage of the General Election were the main parties have published their manifestos and charities check whether their issues have made the cut. When the election was called we worked with the Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders to send a joint letter to all the parties setting out the case for including mental health research in their manifestos (read it here).

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Apr
7 2017

Depression: Let’s Talk (About How We Talk About It)
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Today (7 April) is World Health Day, organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO). They have picked the theme of “Depression: Let’s Talk”.

It would be easy to be cynical. Yet another campaign about talking about mental health. Between Time to Talk Day and the new HeadsTogether campaign it feels like we are not short of people urging us to open up about our mental wellbeing.

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Mar
23 2017

Why we should include everyone and everywhere in mental health research
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Our new policy briefing Everywhere and Everyone Included? describes the wide disparities in the research activity of NHS mental health trusts in England. This is despite the government’s commitments to create a “culture of innovation and research that is embedded at every level” of the NHS, with a “workforce that embraces research and innovation”.

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Feb
16 2017

“Yes, and” – mental health research funding needs both better evidence and better public and patient involvement
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Ian examines a call for a new ’empirical’ approach to mental health research funding, and finds that the voice of people affected by mental health problems seems to be missing.

The Lancet Psychiatry published a comment piece last week arguing that in a ‘post-truth era’ mental health research funders should adopt a more ‘empirical’ approach to their work [requires registration].

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Jan
9 2017

Reacting to the Prime Minister’s speech on Mental Health
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Today’s speech by the Prime Minister on mental health is important, but delivering her promises will need a new commitment to evidence and research.

My conclusion on mental health policy in 2016 was that we should see it as a glass half full.

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Dec
16 2016

Mental health policy and research in 2016 – a glass half full?
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policy-image-mapAt McPin we know that research and evidence are vital to improving the lives of people affected by mental health problems. But research does not take place in a vacuum. Decisions about what questions are seen as relevant, and what research (and how much) is funded are driven by people and how they respond to events in the outside world such as Brexit.

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Dec
16 2016

McPin Methods
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event-image-notes-and-coffeeThe 30th of November saw the first of what we will hope will be a series of methods workshops. It brought together over 70 researchers to discuss how to integrate ‘lived experience expertise in mental health research teams’. The event was massively oversubscribed and if the fact that we had to cut short discussions before we were physically kicked out of the venue is any guide, it succeeded in its aim of stimulating debate and the sharing of ideas.

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Dec
1 2016

First thoughts from the first #McPinMethods Workshop
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Yesterday afternoon saw the first of our methods workshops on ‘integrating lived experience expertise in mental health research teams’. The event was massively oversubscribed. If the fact that we had to cut short discussions before we were physically kicked out of the venue is any guide it succeeded in its aim of stimulating debate and the sharing of ideas.

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Nov
11 2016

Is Scouting really the answer to mental wellbeing?
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As a former Scout (and Cub Scout) with a history of mental health problems my eye was naturally drawn to the headlines declaring that ‘Scouts and Guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’. Yet again I am the exception to the rule!

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Sep
14 2016

New Investment in NHS Research Infrastructure shows Mental Health research is gaining traction
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On Wednesday the Government announced the next five years of funding for NIHR’s 20 Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs). These are collaborations between universities and NHS trusts that provide facilities and support for medical research, and in particular experimental medicine. What is exciting is the prominence that Mental Health is now getting.

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Aug
1 2016

Drawing up Research Priorities – different perspectives
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One of the most significant aspects of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health was the Department of Health’s commitment to develop a ten year strategy for mental health research. We at McPin are now working with the Department on the process for drawing up the strategy.

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Jun
28 2016

Brexit and Mental Health Research: making the best of uncertain times
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As we recover from Thursday’s referendum our thoughts at McPin have started to turn towards what it means for our mission to transform mental health research. As we enter a period of uncertainty it is easy to be downhearted. But it is also an opportunity to think again about how we make the case for research at a time when it is going to be needed more than ever.

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