Research at the Trust: December 2024
In this Roundup, we introduce the Building Race Equity and Diversity (BREaD) in Research Network. Read on to find the latest research news from across the Trust and its partners, as well as media coverage, events and opportunities.
Updates from the Research and Development team
Introducing the Building Race Equity and Diversity (BREaD) in Research Network
The BREaD network was established to serve as a driving force in facilitating partnership working and disseminating good practice in polices and initiatives to address racial inequities and improve diversity and inclusion in research involvement across our south London health partners.
It brings together key stakeholders across King’s Health Partners including South London and Maudsley’s Research and Development team; Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF); organisations in the National Institute for Health and Care Research; the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; alongside community partners (e.g. Croydon BME Forum, Black Thrive).
The representation of ethnic minorities in mental health research
The network has hosted a series of local listening exercises, and recently finished a review to assess the representativeness of research participation across the Trust. The review indicated high alignment between research participant ethnicity and that of the Trust patient population across the five main ethnicity categories.
BREaD shortlisted for King's Engaged Research Awards 2025
BREaD has been shortlisted for the King's Engaged Research Awards 2025, in the category ‘Communicating Research (Local)’ under the title ‘Community conversations about health research: going to underserved communities (IoPPN)’. Created by King’s Engaged Researcher Network (KERN), the awards aim to recognise and celebrate impactful public and community engagement with research across King’s. The shortlist was selected from 100 nominations.
Take Part in Research
Featured study: COMP006 clinical study
The COMP006 study is looking into a new treatment approach for people with Treatment Resistant Depression, using an investigational medicine given with psychological support. The study is suitable for people who have been diagnosed with major depression and are currently experiencing a recurrent or single episode of depression but that have not responded to anti-depressant treatment.
Find out more about the COMP006 Clinical Study and apply to take part.
Research News
South London and Maudsley’s NHS Cannabis Clinic for Psychosis (CCP) provides effective help for young adults with psychosis to decrease or stop their cannabis use
New research has found that the NHS Cannabis Clinic for Psychosis (CCP), which is based at the Trust, offers a feasible and effective treatment strategy to help young adult cannabis users to significantly cut down and even stop their cannabis use. The research is a proof-of-concept analyses of the data from the first 46 patients who completed the intervention offered by the only clinic of its kind in the UK, and suggests that it could be used as a blueprint for other clinics elsewhere. The Maudsley Charity is providing further funding to conduct a more substantial trial to clarify how effective this is compared to local treatment as usual.
· Take part in similar research: The Cannabis & Me study
Little evidence to support increasing use of surveillance technology on mental health wards
New research from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit in Mental Health (MHPRU) at King’s College London and University College London has found little evidence supporting the increasing use of surveillance technologies on inpatient mental health wards. The research found little evidence that technologies like Vision-Based Patient Monitoring and Management (VBPMM), Body Worn Cameras, CCTV, and GPS tracking are an effective means of managing rates of self-harm and aggression on wards, or of improving the overall quality of care.
Treating child and adolescent PTSD – from research to the clinic
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this blog, researchers from King’s IoPPN and the University of Münster discuss their latest research and Dr Jessica Richardson from the Child and Adolescent Trauma, Anxiety and Depression Clinic at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, shares how the Clinic supports young people using evidence-based treatments.
Living alone is linked to poor health and unemployment amongst those with severe mental illness
New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has shown that over three quarters of people with severe mental illness report they are economically inactive, with around two thirds reporting a disability and poor health. Researchers used a unique tool called the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) which can analyse anonymised mental health records from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, linking this to UK Census data.
NIHR has made inclusion a key condition of its funding
The NIHR has announced that it will require applicants to demonstrate how their research will address existing inequalities in health and social care as a condition of funding.
NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre: A Year in Review 2024
NIHR Maudsley BRC highlights some of the most-read research news stories of 2024, ranging from the predictive power of AI and its ethical challenges, to the use of digital tools and neurotherapies to transform treatment of conditions such as schizophrenia or eating disorders. The NIHR Maudsley(BRC is hosted by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with King's College London.
In the Media
The inews, 12 December 2024
First NHS clinic aimed at stopping cannabis use is 'turning people away'
Article on new research into the effectiveness of the Trust’s NHS Cannabis Clinic for Psychosis (CCP), featuring an interview with Professor Marta Di Forti, lead of the CCP and Consultant Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and Professor of Drug use, Genetics and Psychosis at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience.
Events and Opportunities
Neuroinflammation and psychosis: a new dawn or bleak midwinter? Lecture from Rachel Upthegrove MBE, Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
· Wednesday 18 December, 17:30 - 18:30, Wolfson Lecture Theatre, IoPPN Main Building, King’s College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AB
Festive Season Research Club
· Thursday 19 December, 14:00 – 15:00, Online
· All welcome - more details
Research Roadshow - Find out more about R&D at the Trust
· Tuesday 28 January, 11:00–14:00, Churchdown Mental Health Centre, 1A Churchdown, Downham, London, BR1 5PS
· All welcome to drop-in
NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC): 2025 Preparatory Clinical Research Training Fellowships
· Application deadline: Sunday 9 February 2025 – Apply now
