Exeter in multi-million pound research initiative to transform mental health support

The University of Exeter is set to become a key member of a regional hub for pioneering mental health research following a major investment from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

NIHR has awarded £11 million to create a new Mental Health Research Group, led by the University of Plymouth. It is one of five  newly created hubs across England, part of a wider £55 million NIHR initiative designed to ensure that world-class research is conducted in the heart of the communities that stand to benefit most.

The new group will move mental health research out of traditional clinical settings and directly into the South West, focusing on locally identified priorities and working alongside residents to develop a more proactive, preventative model of care. The NIHR MHRG at University of Plymouth will focus specifically on the unique needs of the local population.

In partnership with the University of Exeter and King’s College London, the research will explore how to create a more balanced system and support people who “fall between the gaps” of current services.

Professor Iain Lang, of the University of Exeter, who is involved in the new research group, said: “This is a really exciting development that will bring benefits to mental health services and the mental health of people across the South West and beyond. The project will bring together researchers in Exeter, Plymouth, and London to increase our shared capacity to do world-class mental health research that will improve the lives of patients and communities where it is most needed.”

Co-investigator Dr David Francis Hunt, at the University of Exeter,  who is also in the research group, added: “At Exeter, we combine mental health research with systems thinking. As mental health needs are becoming increasingly complex, we’re supporting this collaboration to explore how care can become more proactive and better integrated—so support reaches people where they are and gaps don’t widen.”

The MHRG will initially work to support people with serious mental illnesses, intellectual disabilities, and university students. By embedding researchers within local community groups and primary care services, the initiative aims to reach people who have historically been under-represented in health studies, ensuring that future treatments and services are designed by—and for—the people of the South West.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR, said: “Mental health challenges can be isolating, especially for people in some of our most under-served regions. Community allows us to tackle isolation. By moving our research focus out of traditional clinical settings and directly into the areas where people live and work, we are driving a fundamental shift toward a more preventative model of care in the community. We are committed to ensuring that the latest innovations and support reach those who need it most, long before they reach a crisis point.”

Tailored research driving equity in healthcare Evidence shows that the South West has specific mental health support needs, and this new funding aims to tackle those needs. There are estimated to be 28,000 people living with a severe mental illness in the South West Peninsula, and 242,000 people with common mental health problems.

Professor Richard Byng, who leads the University of Plymouth’s Mental Health Research Group said: “In recent years, our work with local partners has shown there are significant challenges for our health system, as it was not set up to manage the numbers of people coming forward with requests for help. Mental health staff and people seeking support tell us that there are problems which need addressing, such as rejections following referral, repeated assessments and sudden discharges. “Alongside this, the strengths of people seeking support, as well as community and digital assets, are not fully recognised as key parts of the whole system. We will work with people across our community and staff in services to explore what is working well and less well, building the capacity to make better decisions. This programme is well aligned both with the concerns of communities and with NHS policy – our aim is to help mental health services function well for everyone in the future.”

Dr Rebecca Hardwick, NIHR South West Peninsula ARC (PenARC) Senior Research Fellow at the University of Plymouth and co-lead for the new programme, said: “Over the last three years we have worked with lots of people to develop these ideas. This includes people with mental health problems and those who care for them, and professionals who see patients or who decide what services should be provided. All those conversations and meetings have helped us focus our research and think about tricky but important issues like ethics and equality. It has enabled us to develop a programme that will include lots of ways for lots of people to get involved – with some advising, some collecting and analysing data, and some sharing findings.”

A national regional focus The NIHR MHRG at University of Plymouth is a collaborative effort, bringing together local expertise and national research excellence. This model is being replicated across the country. The NIHR first launched the MHRG programme in 2023 under the broader Mental Health Research Initiative (MHRI), with the goal of establishing up to ten MHRGs, each backed by up to £11 million over five years.

The scheme is targeted at geographical areas with a combination of high mental health need, limited local research capacity and low prior participation in mental health research. Two full MHRG awards were made in 2024 – in Bath and Hull – and five more MHRGs have now been approved for funding.

This marks a significant step in transforming access to mental health support by funding research in regions that need it the most. These awards connect universities, local health systems and communities, ensuring research reflects real-world priorities and lived experience. Other universities that will host the new MHRGs are:

● University of Huddersfield
● Keele University
● University of Lincoln
● Lancaster University