Open Research Studies

Contact-GAD: Acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT) for older people with treatment resistant generalised anxiety disorder (TR-GAD)

What is this study about?

It wants to find out how well a type of therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), when added to usual care, works compared to usual care on its own. It looks if ACT can help reduce anxiety in older people who have 'treatment‑resistant generalised anxiety disorder (TR‑GAD).' Plus whether it is good value for money.

Who can take part?

• Aged 60
• Diagnosis of TR-GAD

What is involved?

Receive Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) – up to 14 1:1 sessions and usual care. Or receive usual care only

 

GLAD: Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression 

Volunteers without symptoms are invited to take part too.

What is this study about?

Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health disorders worldwide. In the UK, 1 in 3 people will experience symptoms during their lifetime. The GLAD Study aims to better understand depression and anxiety to find effective treatments. Also to improve the lives of people experiencing these disorders.

Who can take part?

• people aged 16+
• living in the UK
• people who have never experienced a mental health condition OR
• people who have experienced anxiety and depression

What is involved?

• Register on the website and read the information sheet
• Provide consent
• Complete a 30 minute questionnaire to see if you are eligible
• Send a saliva DNA sample through the post.  Taking part in GLAD involves joining the NIHR Mental Health BioResource. This is a central library of information about people’s health made up of genetic and clinical data. In this case it is where saliva samples are stored.

COMBINER Trial: (Opened July 2026)

What is this study?

The COMBINER Trial is studying how well lithium and quetiapine work for people with bipolar disorder. It compares three options: taking lithium on its own, taking quetiapine on its own, or taking both together.

Both medicines are already used for bipolar. The study wants to see which option is best at reducing mood episodes. It also wants to find out if taking both together is suitable for people. This will include looking at how it affects symptoms, side effects, and how easy the treatment is to manage.

Who can take part?

• Diagnosis of Bipolar type I or II
• Aged ≥18 years.
• Not currently experiencing major depression or mania
• If already on lithium or quetiapine, the patient and clinician are willing to consider the trial and potentially switch treatment. 

What is involved?

• Participants will be randomised to 1 of 3 arms of the trial: 
  • Taking Lithium
  • OR taking Quetiapine
  • OR taking Lithium and quetiapine 

The patient's trial treatment will then be prescribed and managed by a doctor from the Trust.

• Over 24 months there will be:
  • questionnaires
  • interviews
  • take the allocated treatment
  • have regular blood tests and physical checks, obs.

For further information please email Hazel, Clinical Research Practitioner. Please also visit the study website.

 

Bipolar Disorder Research Network (BDRN) 

The BDRN, with team members based at Cardiff University and the University of Worcester, are conducting research into the causes of bipolar disorder and related mood disorders. The main aim is to identify susceptibility genes for bipolar and other related mood disorders. The network is hoping to improve the understanding of the causes of mood disorders and help find better treatments for the future.

The BDRN would like to hear from you if...

• you are aged 18+
• have had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (or a related mood disorder)
• have experienced one or more episodes of mania or hypermania at any time in the past.

To find out more please  contact us

ART-transition: ADHD Remote Technology and ADHD transition: predicting and preventing negative outcomes

What is this study about:?

Adolescence can be a difficult time for young people with ADHD. There are big life changes, new pressures, and higher expectations. This study will follow young people with ADHD as they move into adulthood using Remote Monitoring Technology (RMT).

The study will look at what changes happen. It will explore what causes these changes. It will also look at how we can prevent negative outcomes and support healthy lifestyles.

Who can take part?

• 16-17 year olds with a diagnosis of ADHD

What is involved?

• Participants will attend 2 virtual sessions with a member of the research team
• Wear a Fitbit (provided) all the time (day and night) so data can be collected
• Use their Android phone or be willing to switch to one (provided)
• If interested please get started here.

 

Health and Youth Work

What is this study about?

This study is: Investigating How Dedicated Youth Worker Services for Young People with Physical and/or Mental Health Conditions are Organised, Provided and Experienced.

It wants to find the best way to offer youth work services. These services should help young people with long‑term physical or mental health conditions. The aim is to improve their health and wellbeing.

Who can take part?

• Young people (aged between 11-25) with a long term condition and/or their parents/carers.
• Researchers would like to hear about the young person's and/or their parents/carers experiences with the CAMHS Youth Team.
• Youth Workers, MDT, managers, commissioners who are involved in providing, working with or commissioning within this service.

What's involved?

You will be asked about your experience with CAMHS Youth Team in a 60 minutes interview. You will be paid back for your time with an e-voucher.

For further information:

• Visit the study website
• Please email Rosie, a researcher, at Manchester University
• Or email us

Join Dementia Research (JDR)

This service helps people sign up to take part in dementia research. People can register their interest, and health professionals then match them to studies that might suit them. People can choose which studies they want to join and give their consent (permission to take part).

Watch Alan and Donna share their experience of taking part:

Currently we have no studies in this area. Still want to learn more about getting involved in research? Please get in touch.

We did run the below study earlier in 2025. We will share the outcomes when they are published.

EXIST: EXperIences of oral health STigma study

This study explored how adults in England experience oral health-related stigma and their perspectives about how to de-stigmatise differences in oral health status.

EDGI: Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative

What is this study about?

To better understand the genetic & environmental links to eating disorders & help develop better treatments.

Who can take part?

People who have

• Experienced, or have been diagnosed with an eating disorder
• Aged 16 & above
• Lives in England

What is involved?

• Complete the online questionnaire: https://edgiuk.org/
• Provide a saliva sample. Taking part in EDGI involves joining the NIHR Mental Health BioResource. This is a central library of information about people’s health made up of genetic and clinical data. In this case it is where saliva samples are stored.

CECiLiA: 

What is this study about?

Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews, called C(E)TRs, were created to help reduce the number of people with learning disabilities and autistic people going into psychiatric hospitals. They also aim to help people already in hospital leave sooner.

We do not yet know if C(E)TRs work well. We also do not know how they could be improved. This research project will look at how C(E)TRs are used. It will check if they are helpful for people with learning disabilities, autistic people, and their families.

Who can take part?

People who have been part of a Care, Education and Treatment Review (C(E)TR) in the last year in England. You also need to be in one of the following groups:

• Autistic adults or adults with a learning disability or autistic adults with a learning disability
• Autistic children or children with a learning disability or autistic children with a learning disability
• Family members and carers of people with autism, or have a learning disability, or autistic people with a learning disability
• Members of the C(E)TR workforce
• Health, education and social care staff

What's involved?

You can take part in either:

• An online survey, or
• A talking Mats interview.

Visit this website to find out more.

 

Unlocking Excellence: Examining effective community mental health care for people with intellectual disability

The aim of this study is to improve community based mental healthcare for people with learning disabilities (LD). 

There are two parts to this study:

1.  If you are a health or social care professionals working in LD services we need your help in understanding current mental health provision. Please complete a short survey. It will take roughly 20-30 minutes. You can access the survey here.
2. We’d like to hear from people with a LD or their family/carer. We want to learn about people's experiences of using community mental health services. This would be by a short interview on either phone, online or in person. Please get touch by email or by phone: 0151 4887311.

Support2Work: Understanding the impact of NHS Talking Therapies (NHSTT) Employment Advisors

To better understand how mental health affects someone’s ability to work. It will look at the impact of Employment Advisors (EA) within NHS Talking Therapies (NHSTT) on work and health outcomes/results.

Who can take part?

• People who have used the Employment Adviser service
• Employment Advisers (EA)
• Therapists and Service Leads

This is to understand the service from every point of view.

What is involved?

A thorough interview. 

For further information please email us or the study team. 

 

TRAUMA: run by the NCMH (National Centre for Mental Health) 

What is this study about?

• To understand the impact of traumatic experiences on mental health
• This will be done by using people's experiences of trauma from adult and childhood

Who can take part?

• Need to be aged 18+
• Experienced a traumatic event in adulthood or childhood

What is involved?

• Completion of online questionnaire (with online consent) which take 10-15 minutes.
• Optional follow-up appointment

 

National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH)

What is this about?

To understand why some people have mental health problems. This study collects information and samples. These are used for genetic, biological, psychological, and clinical research.

This helps the study team look for genes and other factors that make some people more likely to become ill. We hope this research will improve understanding of these conditions. We also hope it will help find better treatments in the future.

Who can take part?

• If you or one of your relatives have experienced a mental illness
• If neither you nor your relatives have experienced a mental illness

By comparing information from people who have had a mental illness with information from people who have not, we hope to learn more.
This may help us understand what makes some people more likely to develop these illnesses.

What is involved?

• You will meet a member of the research team. They will do a 30–60 minute assessment and ask for your consent.
• You will give a blood sample.
• If blood is not possible, you will give a saliva sample instead.
• We will look at your medical records to understand your symptoms and treatments. With your permission, we may check your records again in the future to see if your health has changed.
• We may ask if any family members want to take part. This helps us collect family genetic information. We will only contact your relatives if you fully agree.

For further information visit the study team's webpages. 

PERFORM:  Personalised Exercise-Rehabilitation FOR people with Multiple long-term conditions. 

What is this study about?

This short film gives a great overview of the study:

Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia:

The TOP HAT study - Trial of Ondansetron as a Parkinson's Hallucinations Treatment or those with Lewy Body Dementia  

What is this study about? 

This study wants to see if ondansetron can help treat visual hallucinations. Ondansetron is already used in the NHS to stop sickness.

The study will check if it is safe and if it works well for people with Parkinson’s. It will also check if it helps people with Lewy Body Dementia.

Who can take part? 

• People aged 18 or older.
• People with Parkinson’s disease or Lewy Body Dementia.
• Having hallucinations every week.
• Hallucinations not caused by an infection.
• Hallucinations that did not improve after changing their Parkinson’s or Lewy Body Dementia medication.

What's involved? 

• The study will compare ondansetron with a placebo.
• The placebo looks the same but has no drug in it.
• Treatment will last 12 weeks.
• Participants will be put into groups at random.
• There will be phone follow‑ups for another 12 weeks after treatment ends.
• The study aims to recruit 306 people across the country.

Please email us for further information.

OCD-Empower: Online parent-led treatment for OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) in preadolescent children.

What is this study about?

This study wants to test a new treatment for children with OCD. The aim is to make treatment easier to access.

The treatment is called Online Support and Intervention (OSI). Parents or carers use online materials. They try helpful tools at home with their child. A therapist gives support through phone or video calls.

The study will compare OSI with the usual treatment children get.

Who can take part?

We are looking for children (aged between 5 to 12) who have OCD (confirmed by our research team) and their parent/carer(s).

What's involved?

Parents/carers and their child will be randomly assigned to one of two groups.

• One group will receive the new OSI for OCD treatment.
  • This group will do interviews and fill in questionnaires. These will ask about their child’s OCD and other problems like anxiety, behaviour, or low mood.
  • They will do this at the start of the study. They will do it again at 20 weeks. They will do it again at 32 weeks after getting their treatment.

• The second group will receive the usual treatment for OCD.
  • They will have the current treatment available explained to them.
  • Interviews and questionnaires will be completed at the beginning of the study. Then again at 20 weeks and 32 weeks.

Please get in touch if interested in finding out more. 

Early Intervention Mission in Psychosis study

What is this study about?

The aim is to improve the lives of individuals experiencing psychosis. The study will do this by:

• Understanding these conditions better, including risk factors.
• Help to develop tailored early treatment approaches.
• Allowing the study team to recruit people for future studies.

Who can take part

• You have had a first episode of psychosis within the last 3 years
• You have been identified as at risk of psychosis
• You are aged between 16-65 years

What is involved?

• A baseline questionnaire plus bloods and height and weight measurements.
• You will do online thinking tasks, like brain games, within one month of your first visit. Then you will do them every six months. This can continue for up to three years. You can stop at any time.
• A phone app is being developed. You can use it to do the questions and one thinking task when it is ready.

For further information please get in touch.

SIGHT (Spatial Inattention, Grasping Therapy for neglect post stroke): 

What is this study about?

Spatial inattention happens to 1 in 3 people following a stroke. It means a person does not notice things on one side. This study wants to see if SIGHT helps people with spatial inattention.
It will check if SIGHT plus normal care works better than normal care alone.

There will be two arms to this study: treatment as usual and the SIGHT intervention.

Who can take part?

• Aged at least 18 years at the time of consent
• Stroke confirmed with clinical brain imaging (CT and/or MRI), not neck or brain vessel imaging (CTA, MRA, DSA)
• Between 1-week and 75-days post-stroke
• Signs of neglect on at least one of the following:
  • Star Cancellation ≤51, or
  • BIT Line Bisection score ≤7,or
  • Oxford Cognitive Screen cancellation accuracy score <42 and either Oxford Cognitive Screen Cancellation Object score >1 or < -1, or Oxford Cognitive Screen Cancellation Space score  >3 or < -
• Able to follow a one-stage command. For example “grasp this pencil/pen with your less affected arm”
• Able to sit with or without support in front of a table for 30 minutes

What's involved?

• SIGHT intervention: for 7 days (30min/day) in addition to TAU over a 10-day period. 
• For further information please get in touch.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Indicator, Causes and Treatments (PreDDICT)

What is this study about?

• This study wants to learn how genes and the environment affect mental health.
• It looks at problems linked to reproductive events, like the menstrual cycle.
• The aim is to find out who may be at higher risk of these psychiatric disorders.

Who can take part?

The study is open to anybody over the age of 18 who has experienced PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) or severe PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms in their lifetime. 

What is involved?

• An online questionnaire.
• There is the option to be contacted and invited to take part in daily mood and sleep tracking.
• Find out more by visiting study website.