Live Clinical and Health Research Studies

 

 

 

Musculoskeletal: 

PANDA-S:  Prognostic and Diagnostic Assessment of Shoulder pain

What is this study about?

This study will investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of introducing a personalised guided consultation to physiotherapy care, compared to current care by physiotherapists

Who can take part?

- Patients referred or self-referred to participating physiotherapy services

- aged 18 years or over

- presenting with an episode of shoulder pain.

What's involved?

- pre-consultation form (6 weeks), a personalised guided consultation (6 months) and a post-consultation form (12 months).

 

STORY: Characterising Illness Stages, Progression and Recovery Trajectories of Eating Disorders in Young People

What is this study about?

1) To understand the recovery process from eating disorders (EDs) in young people (YP) aged 16-25 by unobtrusively measuring behaviour, physiology, and daily experiences of young people in real time via smartphone apps and inbuilt sensors in smartphones and wearable devices

2) Investigate how ED biopsychosocial symptom profiles differ between early illness-stage (illness duration < 3 years) and later illness-stage (illness duration >3 years), how behavioural and neurocognitive responses change over time, and to identify the biopsychosocial markers that predict them.

Who can take part?

— aged between 16-25

— diagnosis of an ED

— ability to give informed consent

What is involved?
Participation will last for 1 year during which:

— online questionnaires and surveys will be completed on your computer or smartphone on joining the study and at 6 and 12 months

— download 2 apps to your smartphone and optionally wear a device on your fingers to measure your heart rate and sleep

— attend 2 optional assessments visits involving cognitive tasks and brain scans. 

For further information and to take the screening please visit: 

https://redcap-phidatalab.brc.iop.kcl.ac.uk/surveys/?s=RJCKPEELNYHYJYPC 

Also don't hesitate to get in touch.

 

DIAMONDS: Diabetes and Mental Illness, Improving Outcomes and Self-management

What is this study about?

Investigating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the DIAMONDS diabetes self-management intervention for people with a severe mental illness.

Who can take part?

— Diagnosed severe mental illness

— Been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for at least 3 months

What is involved?

1.The DIAMONDS programme: Involve 1-to-1 sessions with trained coaches who will work with participants to support their diabetes self-management o ver 6 months.

2.Usual Care: The participant will continue to receive care as per routine clinical practice.

 

EDGI: Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative

What is this study about?

To better understand the genetic & environmental links to eating disorders & help develop better treatments.

Who can take part?

• Have experienced, or have been diagnosed with an eating disorder
• Aged 16 & above
• Lives in England

What is involved?

• Complete the online questionnaire: https://edgiuk.org/
• Provide a saliva sample

 

OPAL: One-to-one Peer support for family members and friends of patients treated under the mentAL health act (OPAL) – Intervention implementation

What is this study about?

• Whether a carer peer support intervention is feasible in England? -Can the intervention use a “train-the-trainer” approach?
• What are the potential benefits? -Are there risks and unintended consequences?
• What are the implementation costs?

Who can take part?

• Carer Peer Supporters (CPSs): Experience of being a carer for someone treated under the MHA in the last 10 years , 18+, willing to provide informed consent. First to approach Expert by Experience/Volunteers already working within the Trust, as DBS and Occupational Health will be required to be completed.
• Carers: Will have a relative/friend currently being treated under the MHA, 18+, willing to provide informed consent.
• Service Users: 18+, able to provide informed consent. To complete an interview with study team, exploring wider experiences of the impacts of carer support. Will receive £20 voucher.
• Professionals: 18+, willing to provide informed consent. To complete an interview.

What is involved?

The 3 CPSs will be trained by CPSs who have previously completed the training. The training will be provided in two classes of 6, co-facilitated by two CPSs each. Likely to be delivered online/remotely (dependent on feedback from stage 1). CPSs will then go on to deliver the peer support to Carers.

Please contact us for further about this study and what's involved for each party involved.

 

Alzheimer’s including dementia

SOCIAL - Social cognition & functioning in Alzheimer’s Dementia

What is this study about?

This study will examine the association between theory of mind impairment in Alzheimer’s disease with decline in social functioning and relationships.

Who can take part?

- Clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease dementia

- Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥20

Family/friend:

-Must see person with Alzheimer’s disease at least monthly

What is involved?

- Baseline assessment to inc social cognition, functioning and other dementia symptoms

- Follow-up assessments will take place at 4, 8 & 12 months

 

SUSTAIN: Managing the hunger side effects of antipsychotics

What is this study about?

To co-develop, with service users, carers and professionals, a feasible, acceptable non- pharmacological intervention to enhance self-management of antipsychotic induced hunger

Who can take part?

• aged 16+
• currently taking antipsychotics
• currently living in the UK

What is involved?

• 30-minute online survey: 

  https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_e9yNWbCJXGACkBg

• qualitative interview with 25-30 participants who have reported a change in hunger since switching onto an antipsychotic drug in the last 12 months
• £10 shopping voucher available for participants

 

National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH)

What is this about?

We are trying to understand why some people experience problems with their mental health. The purpose of this study is to collect information and samples for genetic, biological, psychological and clinical research. This will allow us to look for genes and other factors which make some people more likely than others to become ill. We hope that our study will improve understanding of these conditions and help find better treatments in the future.

Who can take part?

• If you or one of your relatives have experienced a mental illness
• If neither you nor your relatives have experienced a mental illness

By comparing information from people who have experienced a mental illness with information from people who have not experienced such problems, we hope to learn more about the factors that may make some people more susceptible to these illnesses.

What is involved?

• A meeting with a member of the research team to complete a 30-60 minute assessment including patient consent
• A blood sample or if taking blood is not possible a saliva sample
• Look at your medical records to gain further details about the kinds of symptoms and treatments you have had. With permission to look at your records in the future to see if there has been any change in your health.
• May ask you if any other members of your family would like to take part as this enables us to acquire a wide base of family genetic information. However, we would only contact your relatives with your full agreement.
• For further information visit: https://www.ncmh.info/

 

Contact-GAD: Acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT) for older people with treatment resistant generalised anxiety disorder (TR-GAD)

What is this study about?

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of tailored Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) plus usual care in comparison to usual care alone for reducing anxiety in older people with TR-GAD?

Who can take part?

-Aged 60

-Diagnosis of TR-GAD

What is involved?

Receive Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) – up to 14 1:1 sessions and usual care. Or receive usual care only

 

DIAMONDS RCT (Diabetes and Mental Illness, Improving Outcome and Self-Management) 

What is this study about?

• to help people living with type 2 diabetes and serious mental illness to improve their diabetes self-management by making small changes to their daily life using the DIAMONDS diabetes self-management intervention.
• Following on from the feasibility stage of the study, this phase is looking to investigate whether the intervention changes participants blood glucose levels.

Who can take part?

• Inclusion criteria: aged 18+; diagnosed with a severe mental illness AND diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (insulin and non-insulin user) for at least 3 months.
• Exclusion criteria: diagnosis of gestational diabetes; type 1 diabetes; diabetes due to a specific defect; lack of capacity.

What's involved?

• Participants will be randomised to either the DIAMONDS programme or care as usual
• The DIAMOND intervention aims to support service users by:
  • increase knowledge and skills for diabetes management
  • support to increase physical activity levels and make healthier food choices
  • address sleep difficulties, barriers to taking medications
  • support participants to manage diabetes within the context of fluctuating & low mood
• For further information please see the attached summary study sheet and/or email us.

 

GLAD: Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression 

UPDATE 2.4.24: healthy volunteers invited to take part too.

What is this study about?

Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health disorders worldwide. In the UK, 1 in 3 people will experience symptoms during their lifetime. The GLAD Study aims to better understand depression and anxiety in order to find effective treatments and improve the lives of people experiencing these disorders.

The study explores how our genes and the environment influence the development of anxiety and depression in order to improve future treatment. Involvement in GLAD also involves joining the NIHR Mental Health BioResource, a central library of information about people’s health made up of genetic and clinical data.

Who can take part?

— people aged 16+

— living in the UK

— people who have never experienced a mental health condition OR

— people who have experienced anxiety and depression

What is involved?

There are 4 simple steps to signing up to the GLAD Study:

1. Register on the website and read the information sheet
2. Provide consent
3. Complete a 30 minute questionnaire to see if you are eligible
4. Send a saliva DNA sample through the post

Once you have signed up to the GLAD Study, you will be able to see information on the website about a number of optional questionnaires or other research studies that are being carried out. You will be able to choose to take part in these studies should you wish to.

You can stop taking part in the GLAD Study at any time.

How to get involved?

To access the study go online here to learn more and to sign up. Remember to say you heard about the survey through Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.

Bipolar Disorder Research Network (BDRN) 

The BDRN, with team members based at Cardiff University and the University of Worcester, are conducting research into the causes of bipolar disorder and related mood disorders. The main aim is to identify susceptibility genes for bipolar and other related mood disorders. The network is hoping to improve the understanding of the causes of mood disorders and help find better treatments for the future.

The BDRN would like to hear from you if...

• you are aged 18+
• have had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (or a related mood disorder)
• have experienced one or more episodes of mania or hypermania at any time in the past.

To find out more please contact us

MELD: Mapping and Evaluating Services for children with Learning Disabilities (LD) and Behaviours that Change (BtC) (ph.2)

What is this study about?

Find out about community based services across England that support children with a learning disability and behaviours that challenge, and their families.

Who can take part?

For services: included in ph.1 and no significant change to their service model since ph.1

For children: 0-15 years; has LD defined administratively; been referred at least in part for BtC; parents can give informed consent

What is involved?

Questionnaires for families on sign up and 12 months later.

Detailed information gathering of services and service users.

Maternal Wellbeing, Mental Health, and Life Experience

What is this study about?

To explore the factors that may have an effect in pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth i.e. exposure to certain life events and the effects of COVID-19 on the perinatal period.

Who can take part?

ALL women aged 18 or over who are currently within the perinatal period (currently pregnant or up to 1-year postpartum)

What is involved?

- Basic assessment online

- 2 short follow up questionnaires – date for when these are completed is dependent on when the lady was recruited either when pregnant or postnatally

To find out more please click here.

Currently we have no studies in this area. Still want to learn more about getting involved in research? Please get in touch. 

Newly opened:  Service Configurations for Psychosis 

What is this study about?

This study is looking at how services should be configured to make best use of formal and informal support and therapies for different people experiencing psychosis, and why.

Who can take part?

• Open to mental health service staff delievering or organising care, support or treatment to people who experience psychosis who have ideas about what helps recovery or the organisation of services to support it
• Someone who has had experience of psychosis or experiences that are like psychosis
• Friend, family members or supporter of someone who has had these experiences
• Live in the UK

What's involved?

• Attend a creative workshop about recovery
• Have an interview
• Join the study's email list or closed social media page

For further information:  get in touch with us,  the R&D Team in this Trust or  click here to register your interest.

 

SUSTAIN (Supporting service users to manage antipsychotic induced hunger: co-development and refinement of a non-pharmacological intervention)

What is this study about?

To work with service users, carers and professionals to develop a support package to help adults manage the hunger caused by antipsychotic medication. 

Who can take part?

• People a ged 16 years or older
• Service users who have commenced/changed antipsychotic medication within the previous 12 months and who have experienced a change in hunger, appetite or satiety since this change; their carers and health professionals
•  Living anywhere in the UK

What's involved?

• Phase 2 of this study is now in progress until 31.10.24 and involves workshops (virtual or in person) to co-develop a support package.
• Workshops last up to 3 hours.
• Participants will receive £25 per hour for their time and travel expenses (where applicable) will be reimbursed.

For further information please email us.

 

DIAMONDS RCT (Diabetes and Mental Illness, Improving Outcome and Self-Management) 

What is this study about?

• to help people living with type 2 diabetes and serious mental illness to improve their diabetes self-management by making small changes to their daily life using the DIAMONDS diabetes self-management intervention.
• Following on from the feasibility stage of the study, this phase is looking to investigate whether the intervention changes participants blood glucose levels.

Who can take part?

• Inclusion criteria: aged 18+; diagnosed with a severe mental illness AND diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (insulin and non-insulin user) for at least 3 months.
• Exclusion criteria: diagnosis of gestational diabetes; type 1 diabetes; diabetes due to a specific defect; lack of capacity.

What's involved?

• Participants will be randomised to either the DIAMONDS programme or care as usual
• The DIAMOND intervention aims to support service users by:
  • increase knowledge and skills for diabetes management
  • support to increase physical activity levels and make healthier food choices
  • address sleep difficulties, barriers to taking medications
  • support participants to manage diabetes within the context of fluctuating & low mood
• For further information please see the attached summary study sheet and/or email us.

 

ADEPP: Antidepressant for the prevention of DEPression following first episode Psychosis trial

What is this study about?

• The aim of the ADEPP trial is to establish the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of an antidepressant medication (sertraline) for the prevention of a depressive episode following first episode psychosis (FEP).
• The study aims to recruit up to 452 participants over a period of 32 months from Early Intervention in Psychosis Services in the NHS Trusts across the UK.

Who can take part?

• Patients aged between 18-65 years of age
• Diagnosed with FEP (First Episode of Psychosis)
• Within 12 months of initial treatment for FEP

What is involved?

This is a multi-centre randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial with an internal pilot study.

To find out more please contact us  and take a look at the study newsletter:  ADEPP newsletter Jan 2024.pdf [pdf] 186KB 

 

DIAMONDS RCT (Diabetes and Mental Illness, Improving Outcome and Self-Management) 

What is this study about?

• to help people living with type 2 diabetes and serious mental illness to improve their diabetes self-management by making small changes to their daily life using the DIAMONDS diabetes self-management intervention.
• Following on from the feasibility stage of the study, this phase is looking to investigate whether the intervention changes participants blood glucose levels.

Who can take part?

• Inclusion criteria: aged 18+; diagnosed with a severe mental illness AND diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (insulin and non-insulin user) for at least 3 months.
• Exclusion criteria: diagnosis of gestational diabetes; type 1 diabetes; diabetes due to a specific defect; lack of capacity.

What's involved?

• Participants will be randomised to either the DIAMONDS programme or care as usual
• The DIAMOND intervention aims to support service users by:
  • increase knowledge and skills for diabetes management
  • support to increase physical activity levels and make healthier food choices
  • address sleep difficulties, barriers to taking medications
  • support participants to manage diabetes within the context of fluctuating & low mood
• For further information please see the attached summary study sheet and/or email us.

Currently we have no studies in this area. Still want to learn more about getting involved in research? Please get in touch.