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Aikaterini Dima, Core Psychiatry Trainee at the Maudsley Training Programme and Juliana Onwumere, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Reader in Clinical Psychology at King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust explore in this blog how well the ethnicity of mental health research participants aligns with the local population served.

When Cristina Chiusoli started working at the Trust in March 2020, the world was already in the grip of a global crisis. As a Band 5 nurse, she quickly found herself navigating the challenges of a healthcare system under immense pressure.

“It was challenging as there was uncertainty about guidelines, also concerns about the spreading of the virus and how to keep ourselves, our patients, and our loved ones safe at home,” Cristina recalled.

Smoking rates remain significantly higher amongst individuals with mental health issues. Quitting, however, can improve both physical health and mental wellbeing.

Identifying the smoking status of all inpatients and offering prompt tobacco dependence treatment to all smokers remains a priority for South London and Maudsley Trust. As outlined in the Trust’s Aiming High, Changing Lives Strategy, we aim to reduce inpatient smoking rates to just 15%, which better aligns with that of the national average (11.9%).

There are around one million adults with a learning disability and over 700,000 autistic people living in England. People with a learning disability and autistic people are more likely than the wider population to experience mental health difficulties.