Health Secretary announces £68m funding for mental health research

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced £68 million of funding for mental health research including funds for a new Biomedical Research Centre on mental health.

Responding to this announcement, Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind, said:“The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health made a strong recommendation for increased funding in mental health research and a 10 year plan to make mental health a research priority. We’re pleased to see this important £68million investment in mental health research as the first step towards this, and hope this will lay the foundation for a sea change in mental health research."

“This extra funding will help increase our knowledge of the causes of mental health problems, and might even lead to the discovery of new, more effective treatments, with fewer side effects. It's important that the partnerships bring together people with mental health problems, their families, professionals and researchers to prioritise those areas which will make the most difference to people's lives."

“As well as investing in research to help treat mental health problems, it’s essential that people get the right support from the services they need. For the majority of people with mental health problems, a combination of treatments is most effective for managing their condition– this might include medication, but should also encompass talking therapies and alternative therapies such as arts therapies, ecotherapy or meditation. As NHS England implement the Five Year Forward View, the NHS and other bodies need to work together to ensure the promised £1bn extra funding will be invested to improve mental health services, so that everybody experiencing a mental health problem gets the help and support they need, when they need it.”