Commissioned Call

Robbie Duschinsky & Barry Coughlan - University of Cambridge

Project Title: The availability and effectiveness of psychosocial treatments for underserved young people who self-harm: An analysis using data from two NHS Trusts.

Brief Summary: While psychosocial support within mental health services is widely regarded as crucial for young people who self-harm, there is little known about what types of support are routinely available and how effective they are. This project will analyse anonymized data from two large mental health services. We will assess both the availability and effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for self-harm. We will explore how the availability and effectiveness of these interventions vary based on factors such as gender, ethnicity, age, economic deprivation, religion, first language, diagnosis, social care status, referral source, physical disability, and discharge destination. A range of outputs will be produced from the project’s findings to help professionals across public health, primary care, and social care feel better equipped to support young people and their families.

Start / end dates: 1 October 2024 – 1 April 2026

Contact email: rd522@medschl.cam.ac.uk

David Hunt - University of Exeter

Project Title: Building Bridges: A Realist Synthesis to Understand the Needs of Men at Risk of Suicide

Brief Summary: Male suicidality is a global issue and is particularly prevalent in the southwest of England, which has the third highest rate of suicide in the country. There are significant barriers preventing men from accessing help, with many completing suicide without ever having been in contact with healthcare services. Research indicates that men are more likely to seek support through informal channels and community initiatives. However, while these initiatives are often highly effective, they can be disconnected from the wider health and social care system, placing a considerable burden on individuals and communities when someone discloses suicidal thoughts. Therefore, research is essential to understand how these initiatives operate in such situations and how they might link to primary care services. This would help ensure continuity of care and appropriate support when men do reach out. The project aims to conduct an adapted realist synthesis to explore how men at risk of suicide are supported within community initiatives, and how this support integrates into a whole system of care, including access to primary care services. The study is based in Devon and Cornwall, with the goal of producing a set of recommendations for the local region. These findings will serve as a foundation for future research funding, highlighting areas in need of improvement and further investigation.

Start / end dates: October 2024 - March 2026

Contact email: d.hunt3@exeter.ac.uk

Magdalena Mikulak - Lancaster University

Project Title: Suicide, self-harm and people with learning disabilities: a scoping study

Brief Summary: 

People with learning disabilities have poorer mental health than their non-disabled peers. People with learning disabilities, like other people, can self-harm, think about suicide, try to end their lives, and die by suicide. We know little about the experiences of adults with learning disabilities who think about suicide or try to end their lives and how best to support them in these situations.

We have some evidence about self-harm and people with learning disabilities, but this is complicated by the use of different words and phrases. For example, self-harm in people with learning disabilities is sometimes called ‘self-injurious behaviour’. Sometimes self-harm is also understood as part of having a learning disability. When people with learning disabilities self-harm, others can understand their experiences as ‘challenging behaviour’. This can have an impact on what support people with learning disabilities receive.

This research will review existing evidence about people with learning disabilities and self-harm and suicide. It will also help to clarify what we currently know about support for people with learning disabilities who self-harm and about suicide prevention for this group. We will also review how research on suicide and self-harm in adults with learning disabilities has been done.

Start / end dates: 01 January 2025 - 28 February 2026

Contact email: m.mikulak@lancaster.ac.uk