Be Part of Research: “I feel that my experiences are helping to shape future treatments”
This week marks the launch of the Be Part of Research campaign, led by the National Institute for Health and Care (NIHR). Taking part in research helps the development of new and better ways to treat health conditions and improve care. The Trust aims for all its service users to be offered the chance to get involved in research, as part of its commitment to improve the lives of the people and communities it serves.
Over the next few days and weeks, we will be sharing the experiences and stories of people who have taken part in research at the Trust, as well as ways you can get involved, in-person or online.
In 2024-25, over 6.4k people took part in a research study led by the Trust or in partnership with the Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience. This makes the Trust the highest performing mental health trust in England for research participation.
Benefits of taking part in research, according to participants
The results of our annual survey of people who have taken part in research (Participant in Research Experience Survey) at South London and Maudsley were overwhelmingly positive, with 97% saying they would take part again.
Those who responded to the survey gave positive feedback and found a number of benefits. Many felt it was important to be giving back to others and the future of mental health care and treatment, by sharing their own knowledge of their condition.
“By taking part in research, I feel that my experiences are helping to improve understanding and to shape future treatments.” - Research participant
Research teams were often praised as being supportive, the information being clear, and the tasks being interesting and easy to complete. Other benefits were that participants’ wellbeing improved, they felt their contributions were valued, or they learnt more about their condition.
“Lovely friendly staff, tasks simple and clear, everything I needed was provided.”
“I am able to approach my mental health issues in a positive and different way.”
The survey was completed by 115 people between April 2024 and March 2025, and for 42% it was the first study they had taken part in.
How to take part in research
Volunteers can sign up through the Trust’s Take Part in Research listings of local mental health research studies, which are searchable by condition or criteria, and are open to anyone – whether you have an existing condition or not.
Be Part of Research is a new NIHR service which lists opportunities to take part in health and care research. The free online service matches volunteers to health and care studies, based on their interests, taking place online or at locations nearby.
Participation in research would not be possible without the support of the Trust’s Research Champions as well as the clinical teams who encourage service users to sign up for Consent 4 Contact (C4C) or to self-refer to the Take Part in Research site. If you need support or have questions around referring your patients, you can contact the Research Delivery Team here: researchdeliveryteam@slam.nhs.uk
International Clinical Trials Day event on Tuesday 20 May
The Trust will be celebrating International Clinical Trials Day with a drop-in event at the Outpatients Waiting room in the Maudsley Hospital, on Tuesday 20 May, 10am – 2pm.
Staff, service users and the public are welcome to find out more about research opportunities and how they can get involved.
Find out more about International Clinical Trials Day.
