Inclusive #MentalHealthResearchMatters: the role of mental health research in tackling inequalities

What does good mental health research look like in 2022 and beyond?

One vital goal that we can all work towards is inclusive, antiracist research that tackles inequalities.

On World Mental Health Day, 10th October, we hosted a discussion about how we can create more inclusive mental health research that addresses inequalities.

Inequalities profoundly impact mental health. Whether it’s socioeconomic status, gender expression or sexuality, race or having a disability, there are so many ways that society disadvantages people. Especially when they live at the intersection of multiple disadvantages.

This has been a fundamental part of the UKRI- funded mental health research networks’ work.

For the first of our #MentalHealthResearchMatters webinar series, hear from researchers from across the UKRI mental health research networks, on how their work shines a light on inequalties, and how they make their research more inclusive.

As active members of our communities who care about making a difference, we all have a part to play. It's vital that mental health researchers work in an inclusive way to address inequalities and their effect on people’s mental health and well-being.

This is a huge topic, and we can’t cover it all in a 90-minute webinar, but we hope you’ll leave feeling inspired with practical tips to improve your own mental health research.

Dr Celestin Okoroji, Head of Research at Black Thrive, hosted the event.

Our panellists were:

Dr Praveetha Patalay - Praveetha’s work with Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network (LSIMHRN) looks at at social isolation across ages and generations. She has also explored inequalities in gender, disability, sexual and minority ethnic status using Millennium Cohort Study Data.

Dr Karen Mak – Karen’s work with MARCH network used nationally-representative cohort studies to explore the associations between neighbourhood deprivation and engagment with the arts

Dr Yasmin Ahmadzadeh - Yasmin led the TRADE study, funded by Emerging Minds, which explores how parents’ experiences of racism affect childrens’ mental health

Dr Panos Spanakis – Panos' work with Closing The Gap looks at the digital divide for people with severe mental illness.

This event was brought to you by #MentalHealthResearchMatters.

About Mental Health Research Matters

#MentalHealthResearchMatters is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It is a collaboration of The McPin Foundation, Mental Elf and the University of Oxford. The campaign sparked a conversation about better mental health research while celebrating the work of the UKRI-funded mental health research networks.

The campaign might have ended, but the conversation doesn’t stop here. Use the hashtag #MentalHealthResearchMatters to continue the journey to better mental health research.