Mental health research and practice across Scotland is set to be strengthened through a cross-sectoral partnership led by the NHS, the University of Strathclyde and New York University (NYU).

The Mental Health Future Collaborative (MHFC) aims to advance understanding of the prevention of mental health issues and advocate for positive policy changes, by sharing international knowledge and best practice.

The MHFC will also look to promote and develop digital technology for use in mental health support and treatment, by working with the NHS, the third sector and international universities.

The MHFC team says that recognising mental health as central to all health lies ‘at the heart of the collaborative’ which will also focus strongly on addressing health inequalities.

Dr Nicola Cogan, Senior Lecturer at Strathclyde university’s Department of Psychological Sciences and Health and who helped develop the Scottish Student Mental Health Research Network (ScotSMART), is a lead in this new venture.

Dr Cogan says this is “an exciting opportunity” to bring together academics and professional from across the public and private sector to lead on mental health research moving forward.

Experts from across the NHS, social care, occupational health and human resources as well as student support services and individuals with experience of mental ill health will all play a role in MHFC.

Lee Knifton, Co-Director of Strathclyde’s Centre for Health Policy and Collaborative co-lead, says the work aims to be “at the forefront of world leading research”.

International partnership

Marking the 10^th year anniversary of a strategic partnership between NYU and Strathclyde with a recent symposium, the two universities will look to develop work at the MHFC over the next decade.  

The Transatlantic Mental Health Symposium held in NYU in July also examined similarities between Glasgow and New York – notably, inequalities in both urban environments.

The Strathclyde team says this presented a “fantastic opportunity” to build on the longstanding collaboration between the two universities on mental health and are excited about continuing this work with MHFC.

Professor Victoria Stanhope, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs at NYU’s School of Social Work, says the MHFC will help investigate the challenges and inequalities across New York and Glasgow’s vulnerable populations:

“We are delighted to be working with colleagues within Strathclyde to help us strengthen our collaborative research focused on mental health and vulnerable populations.

“We can draw important insights between some of the mental health challenges within our urban environment here in New York and those evident within Glasgow; we want to understand better ways to reduce mental health inequities.”

Changing policy and practice

A driving focus of the work of MHFC is to bring mental health practitioners together with academics and policymakers to develop better partnership working and create a meaningful impact of practice and policy developments.

Dr Linda Irvine Fitzpatrick, of Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Lothian and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Strathclyde, said cross-sectoral working improves impact, adding:

“It's a shot of energy and passion from wonderful and generous people that motivates and inspires you to create and innovate further.”

Honorary Professor Peter Byrne, of the Department of Psychological Sciences and Health has a leadership role in public mental health at Strathclyde.

He says a key component of developing this work is meeting people struggling with mental health and those working on the ground to help:

“You need to meet the people who run the programmes and the populations they serve. Through this group, I have seen fantastic public mental health work in the poorest parts of NYC and climbed up the steep learning curve for What Works with limited budgets.

“If the UK wants to reduce rising inequalities and worsening mental health, we need to discover and trial solutions from the US too.”

By conducting cross-cultural research, the MHFC teams will be able to compare findings and share new knowledge around the links between access and support into work and mental health.

Read more: Mental health: including men at the margins; Nursing report spotlights burnout and discrimination; Insight: The health benefits of being able to work; £1.5m CAMHS centre opens; Briefing: Edinburgh’s global neurodiversity meeting; Staff shortage concerns in MWC reviews

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