Liverpool: £2m award to improve access to mental health services

University of Liverpool report that their scientists have been awarded £2 million to look into barriers that prevent difficult-to-reach communities gaining access to mental health services.

These groups include black and ethnic minorities, the homeless, asylum seekers, young people with eating disorders and people with unexplained symptoms, advanced cancers or prolonged sickness absence from work.

The research, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), will focus on user perspectives, examining their access, understanding and knowledge to find ways of improving mental health services.

Professor of Primary Medical Care, Chris Dowrick, said: "Mental health problems impose a substantial burden on patients, carers and the healthcare system and often many people with high levels of mental distress are disadvantaged because information and transport may not be readily available or because access does not lead to adequate care.

"Asylum seekers, for example, who often have severe mental health problems resulting from a combination of traumatic events in their original country, difficulties in migration and prejudice and discrimination when they arrive in the UK. A possible solution may be a team of dedicated health workers, who would determine their needs and act as link workers to ensure effective and sympathetic treatment is available within primary care."

He added: "The research will clarify the needs of these differing groups, identify the barriers they face in accessing care and then develop and test credible interventions to allow greater accessibility for all."

The research will bring together internationally recognised mental health researchers from the University of Liverpool and the University of Manchester in collaboration with the Primary Care Trust.