Minister for Mental Health and Older People Mary Butler has announced a doubling in funding for mental health research, compared with the average level of comparable funding over the last five years.
This funding of €7 million will support the advancement of mental health research projects through the Health Research Board (HRB), under the national mental health policy Sharing the Vision and aligned with the Department of Health Statement of Research Priorities. This funding was allocated during 2023, with further funding rounds specific to mental health research, and aligned to Sharing the Vision, to take place over the lifetime of the policy (2020-2030).
This €7 million in funding reflects the government’s continued and enhanced investment in mental health research in Ireland. Funded projects by the HRB include investigator-led research projects and fellowships, as well as two larger awards through a new HRB Applied Programme Grants scheme where mental health has been identified as a thematic priority.
“The HRB will continue to support high-quality, collaborative and applied mental health research to drive positive change and outcomes for health and social care, society and the economy. As a member of the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders, we will collaborate with international partners to ensure that mental health research in Ireland is conducted in line with best practice globally”, added Dr Mairéad O’Driscoll, Chief Executive at the HRB.
The funded research projects will generate important and actionable evidence to support mental health improvements in areas such as:
- improving recovery for people affected by psychotic disorders
- the effective use of social media to access mental health information
- how to reduce rates and improve the experience of involuntary care for young people in the Irish mental health service
- why people with diabetes in Ireland appear to be more likely to experience depression compared with other EU countries
Minister for Mental Health and Older People Mary Butler said, “We know that one in four people in the world will be affected by a severe mental health difficulty at some point in their life and this research will support our understanding of what interventions or strategies will work, where and for whom.”
He concluded, “I would like to congratulate the recipients of the funding awards and wish them and their colleagues the very best with their important and necessary work.”
(Source: Gov.ie)
