The study, funded by the NIHR Three Research Schools' Mental Health Programme, has highlighted gaps in England’s community mental health system, with rising demand and fragmented services leaving many people struggling to access support.
Led by Judi Kidger and Katrina d'Apice, the research gathered insights from 55 service users, who described a confusing system, long waits, and the need to repeatedly share their stories.
The study identifies seven key actions, including better IT integration, named link workers, community hubs, and greater involvement of people with lived experience.
Researchers are calling for local pilots to test these changes and improve how NHS, social care, and voluntary services work together.
Further information:
- 📄 Connecting Commmunity Mental Health Support Policy report
- 🎥 With captions: The Connecting Community Mental Health Support Study (CC)
- 🎥 Without captions: The Connecting Community Mental Health Support Study
- Project Title: Connecting Community Mental Health Support