The network’s objectives are:
- To create a national collaboration between key multidisciplinary, stakeholders across government, health services, the third sector, universities and service users and the public, to work together to catalyse implementation of effective mental health interventions
- To work together to identify and prioritise areas of mental health services that require improvement to meet individual and system needs
- To identify evidence-based solutions to maximise the relevance and impact of the interventions at a population and individual level
- To identify and agree the best methods for implementing the required evidence-based solutions and to test how they can be put into practice in a range of services across the Applied Research Collaborations and Academic Health Science Networks
- To evaluate the impact of implementing mental health interventions using state of the art research methods.
This work will be underpinned by public and patient involvement, engagement and participation; workforce considerations; financial sustainability and cost effectiveness; using and developing appropriate data, technology and digital tools.
Both ARCs lead major workstreams in mental health and care, delivered by health staff and academics with world-leading expertise in implementing high quality research and assessing impact. Visit the NIHR ARC East of England and NIHR ARC South London websites for more information.
They also both have a track record of leading and collaborating on national and global projects to improve health and care. They work with Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, the NHS, Public Health England, third sector organisations, industry, overseas governments, the European Commission, World Health Organisation, United Nations, and the World Psychiatric Association.
The eight priority areas for networks funded by the NIHR are:
1. Mental health, including children and young people’s mental health
2. Adult social care and social work
3. Prevention, including behavioural risk factors
4. Multimorbidity
5. Health and care inequalities
6. Healthy ageing, including dementia and frailty
7. Children’s health and maternity.