Take part in research
In this section, you will find a list of all clinical research studies currently being supported by our department.
Research studies by category (A-Z)
Anxiety and Depression
The GLAD Study is a project set up to explore risk factors in individuals who have experienced depression and/or anxiety, including those with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, OCD, or related disorders, at any time in their lives.
It aims to better understand depression and anxiety in order to find and develop more effective treatments. The GLAD Study is also part of the NIHR BioResource, which is a library of information about people’s health aiming to support research in both physical and mental health.
To take part in this study, people must:
- Have experienced symptoms of anxiety and/or depression during your life
- Be aged 16 and above
- Live in the UK
The GLAD Study enrolment process consists of four steps:
- Register on the website www.gladstudy.org.uk and read the Information Sheet
- Provide consent (please put AWP as where you heard about the study)
- Complete a questionnaire
- Provide a saliva sample
AWP Research and Development contacts:
Alexandra Young (alexandra
This study will close on the 30 November 2024
Clinical depression can impact an individual’s mood and motivation to pursue goals and affects how rewarding they find them. Current first-line treatments, such as psychological therapies and antidepressants, haven’t always proven effective for a good proportion of people who might have Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD).
PAX-D study aims to use an already existing drug called pramipexole (which is currently being used for Parkinson's disease) that could prove effective treatment for TRD by impacting factors such as mood and motivation.
During the trial, one group of people will be taking pramipexole and the other group will be taking a placebo; a tablet that looks like pramipexole, but has no effect. At the end of the trial, we will compare the information collected on people taking pramipexole with that from people taking placebo.
To take part in this study, people must:
- Be aged 18 or above (male or female)
- Have a diagnosis of major depression (DSM-V)
- Be currently taking an antidepressant medication and willing to continue
- Have lacked response to at least two antidepressants at therapeutic doses
Further information:
PAX-D study website: https://paxd.web.ox.ac.uk/
AWP Research and Development contacts:
Alexandra Young (alexandra
Mashal Asif (mashal
This study will close on the 31 May 2024
Background
This Social Brain Study looks at how different people seeking support for various mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression-related problems, behave in social interactions.
The study aims to address some of the current gaps in knowledge and investigate whether there is a relationship between mental health difficulties and social interactions and if so, whether social behaviours can be predicted or modelled using personality/character traits.
This will hopefully improve understanding of mental health difficulties and contribute toward developing more informed and effective treatments.
To take part in this study, people must be:
- On a waiting list for high intensity / step 3 Talking Therapy
- Aged 18-60
- Able to read and write in English
- Not have a primary diagnosis of a personality, psychotic, or bipolar disorder
Further information:
The University College London is supporting interested AWP service users to take part in the study.
All parts of the study are completed online using the internet.
Participants interested in taking part are asked to complete a short virtual computer game that investigates social interaction/ behaviour and takes around 30 minutes. Participants are also asked to complete a series of self-report questionnaires covering a range of different topics.
Participants will be asked to complete this part of the study in their own time over a 2-3 week period, whilst waiting to start their therapy.
The study also involves a follow up part, which will commence once a participant has started therapy. During this follow up stage, participants are asked to complete 2 short questionnaires every 2 weeks, that take around 5 minutes each.
The Social Brain Study is offering participants a £35 payment at the end of the study as a thank you.
AWP Research and Development contacts:
Darren French, Research Nurse (d
Thalia Pilcher, Research Practitioner (t
This study will close to new applicants on the 31 December 2024.
Bipolar and Psychosis
The Integrated Bipolar Parenting Intervention Trial (IBPI) team based at Lancaster University and Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust are trying to find out whether providing online parenting support for parents with bipolar disorder (BD) helps parents to feel less stressed, have more confidence and experience fewer mood problems. The trial also aims to see whether use of the support leads their children to having fewer behavioural and emotional problems.
To take part in this trial, people must:
- Have a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder (BD)
- Have a child aged 4-10 years old (with whom you have at least 10 hours of contact with a week)
- Have access to the internet
Further Information:
The Integrated Bipolar Parenting Intervention (IBPI) is an online tool that combines parenting support with helpful strategies for managing bipolar, and can be accessed on computers, mobile phones or tablets.
Individuals will be randomly allocated (50/50 chance) to receive the intervention or to receive what would be considered their usual care. Those that are allocated to receive usual care will be able to access the IBPI tool once they have completed the trial (after 48 weeks).
All activities related to the IBPI Trial will be done remotely / online.
If you are interested in finding out more and registering your interest, please visit: Bipolar-Parenting-Study | Lancaster University
IBPI Trial contact:
Telephone: 07507 856960
Email: ibpi
Website: www.lancs.ac.uk/spectrum/IBPI
This study will close on the 31 January 2025
The National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) are researching the causes of mental health problems. Researchers are looking to gather information about people’s environment, lifestyle, and biology (including genes). Using this information, researchers hope to better understand why people experience mental health issues and how to develop better treatments.
To take part in this study, people must:
- Be 18 years old or over
- Have a diagnosis of psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, or depression
- Understand spoken or written English
Further information:
Taking part in this study would involve meeting a member of the AWP Research & Development team either in person or by telephone or video call.
At this meeting, you would have the opportunity to ask questions about the study and have time to think about taking part.
If you consent to taking part, the next step requires the completion of a questionnaire with a researcher. This would involve personal questions about your environment, lifestyle, and health, including mental health.
There would be an expectation to provide a blood sample taken from the arm.
There would be further questions to complete within a week of the assessment, taking around 30 minutes.
NCMH are offering a £25 gift voucher to participants as a thank you.
AWP Research and Development Contacts:
This study will close on the 30 June 2024
Psychotic disorders, including Schizophrenia affect many people. Evidence suggests that inflammation in the body may have a role in the development of psychotic symptoms and may make it difficult for people to get better despite taking anti-psychotic medication.
This study aims to examine the role of inflammation in psychosis. To test this, participants who have inflammation will be randomly allocated to receive either the study intervention which is a single Intravenous (IV) infusion of an anti-inflammatory medication which already exists called Tocilizumab or the study control, which is a single IV infusion of normal saline solution which will have no effect on levels of inflammation in the body. Participants will not know whether they have received the intervention or control.
The study will examine if reducing levels of inflammation using the medication can help reduce symptoms of psychosis.
This study will support us to understand whether inflammation has a role in causing psychosis and if in the future, anti-inflammatory drugs may help in the treatment of psychosis for some people.
To take part in this study, people must be:
- Aged 18 - 40
- Diagnosis of psychosis (Schizophrenia or related psychoses) and within three years of first diagnosis of psychotic disorder.
- If on anti-psychotic medication, stable on treatment regime with no changes in the past 2 weeks.
- Able to give informed consent, including consent to share information with your General Practitioner (GP) and to access secondary care and GP records.
- Able to understand written and spoken English.
- Able to consent to providing blood samples.
- Willing to abstain from strenuous exercise for 72 hours before the assessment visits.
- Not pregnant (confirmed by urine pregnancy test) or breast-feeding.
- Have a Body mass index (BMI) < 35 (i.e., WHO obesity class II or below).
- There are other study eligibility criteria, which includes a number of co-morbid physical and mental health conditions and history, which are not listed above. If you have any questions about the criteria specifically, please email awp
.pimsresearchtrial .@nhs.net
Further information:
Service users interested in taking part in the trial will be invited to attend a couple of in person appointments. During these appointments, service users will be provided with information about the study, be asked to provide informed consent and will be assessed for suitability for the trial. During these appointments, service users will complete some questionnaires, cognitive tests and provide blood samples. (There is also an optional MRI scan).
Participants with evidence of inflammation (measured by a blood test), will also be asked to complete some further blood tests and a chest X-Ray before being randomised into the study.
Participants with no evidence of inflammation, will stop taking part in the study at this stage.
Participants who have of psychosis and inflammation who are eligible to take part in the trial, will be randomised to receive either a single dose of Tocilizumab or normal saline solution, which are administered via intravenous (IV) infusion.
The study also involves some follow up appointments at 7 days, 14 days and 28 days after receiving the infusion. During these appointments, participants are asked to complete further blood tests, questionnaires and cognitive tests (there is also an optional MRI scan).
Participation in the trial will end at 42 days after receiving the infusion when participants are contacted by the study team for a final check in.
Eligible service users who take part in the trial will be offered payment after completing different stages of the study, as a thank you for their time.
Participants can also claim reimbursement for travel expenses.
The PIMS Trial study website: Psychosis Immune Mechanism Stratified Medicine Study - University of Birmingham
AWP Research and Development contacts:
If you wish to discuss the PIMS Trial or are interested in taking part in the study, you can contact the PIMS study team by email awp
This study will close on the 15 February 2025.
The STOP trial aims to investigate the use of a new treatment for the symptoms of paranoia. The treatment uses a mobile phone App aimed at reducing cognitive bias, meaning the way the brain simplifies information through the filters of personal experience. The trial will test whether the mobile phone App can help replace harmful and distressing paranoid thoughts with better alternatives.
To take part in this study, people must:
- Be age 18 or above
- Have clinically significant paranoid and persecutory symptoms that have continued for at least a month, regardless of diagnosis
- Have been stable on psychotropic medication for a minimum of 3 months
- Have no major physical illness or substance misuse issues (alcohol or drugs)
- Have an understanding of written and spoken English
- Have capacity to consent to take part in the trial
Further information:
You will be asked to use a mobile phone App once per week for either 6 or 12 weeks. This App can be downloaded onto your own smartphone or a smartphone that can be provided for the trial period.
You will be asked to complete an initial assessment with a researcher at the University of Bath. Following this assessment, the researcher will phone you either weekly or fortnightly for a short conversation. There will be follow-up assessments at 6, 12, 18 and 24 weeks after starting the trial. You can claim £20 for completing each follow-up assessment and a final assessment.
Taking part in this trial does not affect access to your current treatment. Taking part in this trial is voluntary and anyone can withdraw at any point.
More information about the STOP trial can be found here.
AWP Research and Development contacts:
Darren French (d
David Rudall (d
This study will close on the 30 June 2024
Background:
The study is aiming to test/validate a new scale that has been developed to measure self-dehumanisation in a clinical sample of people with psychosis. Self-dehumanisation is the feeling that oneself is less than human.
To take part in this trial you must:
- Be aged 18 or older
- Have a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder or eligibility for early intervention in psychosis services OR people with experience of distressing psychosis (confirmed by a brief video call).
- Have sufficient fluency in English in order to understand the questions
Additional Information:
Individuals will be asked to complete a number of short questionnaires, supported by a trained member of staff. It is expected that this will take 10 – 15 minutes. Participants will then be asked to complete one of the questionnaires again, 3 days later.
After the study, participants will be debriefed about the purpose and implications of the study. A trained member of staff will be available to talk and answer any questions that the participant might have.
AWP Research and Development contacts:
Monalisa Bora-White (monalisa
Thalia Pilcher (t
This study will close on the 24 October 2024
Visual hallucinations can be distressing and have a negative impact on people’s lives. There is little research into how visual hallucinations are experienced by those with non-affective psychosis.
The VISION-QUEST study aims to develop and test a new questionnaire to understand people’s beliefs about visual hallucinations. This questionnaire will also explore some physical and psychological factors thought to influence visual hallucinations.
To take part in this study, individuals must:
- Be aged 16 years or above
- Be diagnosed with non-affective psychosis; including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, psychosis not otherwise specified
- Be experiencing visual hallucinations within last month
- Be currently accessing NHS adult secondary
- Be willing and able to give informed consent
Individuals will not be able to take part in this study if they have:
- Insufficient English language to understand and complete questionnaires
- Visions as a result of organic disorder or brain injury, or when only under the influence of substances
Further information:
Those that take part will be asked to complete a questionnaire pack, which should take 30-45mins to complete. This pack can be completed either online or face-to-face with a researcher.
A payment of £10 or equivalent in shopping vouchers will be offered as a thank you for taking part in the study.
A small group that take part will also have the option to complete a similar questionnaire one week later. These questionnaires will take around 15 minutes to complete. These follow-up questionnaires will allow researchers to assess the new measure for visual hallucinations, which is being developed.
A second payment of £10 or equivalent shopping voucher will be offered as a thank you for completing the follow-up part of the study.
Contact:
This study closes on the 28 February 2025
Dementia
The MySmile Study is a Randomised Control Trial (RCT) for adults with Alzheimer’s disease, looking at whether reducing periodontal infection (gum disease) slows the progression of cognitive impairment. Periodontal infection is mainly caused by inflammation of gums and surrounding bone.
The MySmile research group and others have found links between Alzheimer’s and gum disease. Gum disease occurs when certain bacteria thrive under the gum line causing inflammation and bleeding. There is good evidence these bacteria pass into the bloodstream and speed up, or cause development of other diseases (such as diabetes and heart disease).
The study will compare two groups of patients who have both early Alzheimer’s and gum disease. One group will continue to look after their teeth and attend their own dental practice as usual. The other group will receive a personalised mouth care plan with all treatment provided at Bristol Dental Hospital or an accredited General Dental Practice.
The study will last 18 months. Taking part will involve completing a number memory tests, having dental assessments, and providing saliva and blood samples at different time points over 18 months.
To take part in the study, people must:
- Be aged 60 and over
- Have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease of Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Be interested in improving your oral (gum) health
MySmile study team contact:
If you wish to discuss taking part in the MySmile study, you can contact the MySmile study team directly by telephone (07773 579130) or email (Nikki
AWP Research and Development contact:
Monalisa Bora-White (monalisa
This study closes on the 31 August 2024
Research has revealed the prevalence of anxiety and depression in carers of people with dementia is higher than the general population. Care is usually offered by NHS psychological services, but this poses potential barriers to carers, such as mobility issues, lack of respite care access or long waiting lists.
Online treatments are a way to address this issue as they can be delivered remotely in the person’s own time. iACT4CARERS uses an online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); a psychotherapy aiming to improve mood and quality of life. ACT does not aim to change thoughts and feelings, but reduce avoidance of them and enhance personally meaningful behaviour.
iACT4CARERS aims to understand the effectiveness of ACT in reducing symptoms of anxiety in carers.
To take part in this study, people must:
- Be over the age of 18 years old
- Be caring for a family member diagnosed with dementia
- Be experiencing anxieties or worries
- Have access to a smartphone, tablet or computer
- Have access to the internet
Further information:
The iACT4CARERS trial is a 12-week self-directed therapy. iACT4CARERS can be accessed from participant’s own home using a smartphone, tablet or computer.
Participants will be asked to complete eight, 40-60 minute, online sessions over this time and provide your reflections after each session. A trial therapist will support participants over this time, providing tailored written feedback after each session and two optional 30-minute phone calls.
Before enrolling in the study, participants will be asked to complete baseline questionnaires about themselves and their thoughts and feelings regarding their caregiving role. Participants will be asked to complete these again at 12-weeks and 24-weeks to assess the impact of ACT.
By completing the trial, participants will be entered into a prize draw to win one of 50, £20, gift vouchers.
Some participants will be invited to take part in an individual interview at the end of the study. This is optional.
This study closes on the 30 June 2025
Eating Disorders
EDGI is a project set up to explore risk factors in individuals who have experienced eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder or any other eating disorder at any time in their lives.
It aims to better understand the genetic and environmental links to eating disorders in order to improve treatments for current and future patients. EDGI is also part of the NIHR BioResource, which is a library of information about people’s health aiming to support research in both physical and mental health.
To take part in this study, people must:
- Be aged 16 and above
- Live in England
- Be currently experiencing or have experienced an eating disorder
The EGDI study process involves of four steps:
- Registering on the website edgiuk.org and reading the information sheet
- Providing consent using the online form (please put AWP as where you heard about the study)
- Completing a questionnaire
- Providing a saliva sample
AWP Research and Development contact:
This study will close on the 01 September 2024
General studies
The University of Bristol and Sheffield are interested in better understanding how to make mental health services work better together to improve mental health and reduce mental health inequalities.
To take part in this study, people must:
- Be aged 18 years or above
- For service users: Have accessed mental health services within Bristol or South Gloucestershire in the last 2 years
- For staff: Have worked within mental health services within Bristol or South Gloucestershire
Further Information:
Those who are interested will be invited to talk about their views of integrated health services in a group workshop, either in person at a venue in Bristol or online. This workshop will last approximately 2 hours.
Service users will be given £50 as a thank you for their time. For those who attend a face-to-face workshop, reasonable travel costs will be covered.
Study contact:
Katrina d’Apice
Email: katrina
Telephone: 0117 455 3759
This study will close on the 31 March 2024
Learning Disabilities
Art psychotherapy is used in the NHS to support people with mental health difficulties. However, more research is needed to find out if this therapy is helpful for people with learning disabilities in forensic and secure mental health services.
The SCHEMA team are looking to find out if interpersonal art psychotherapy can reduce experiences of aggression for adults in secure care with borderline to mild/moderate learning disability. They also want to find out whether art psychotherapy can reduce the distress that these patients experience from their symptoms.
To take part in this study, people must:
- Be aged 18 to 60
- Be an inpatient in an NHS secure hospital, unit, or service
- Have a learning disability or borderline intellectual functioning
- Be able to give informed consent
- Have support from their responsible clinician or team to participate
Further information:
SCHEMA is a randomised control trial, which means a computer will randomly decide if participants receive art psychotherapy straight away or if they will be put on a waitlist for art psychotherapy. This means the researchers can compare art psychotherapy to usual care to see if it helps people. All participants will receive 12 weeks of art psychotherapy by the end of the study.
Each art therapy session is an hour long, with one per week for a total of 12 sessions. In the sessions, individuals will be able to talk with a therapist and make artwork. They do not need to be good at art to do art therapy. Doing art during therapy can make it easier to communicate.
Everyone who takes part in the study will be asked to complete some questionnaires with a researcher about their mental and physical health. These will be done at the start of the study, once after four months, and once more after nine months.
Individuals will receive a £15 voucher after the first questionnaire, a £15 voucher after the questionnaire at four months, and a final £20 voucher after the questionnaire at nine months, totalling £50 for completing the study.
AWP Research and Development contacts:
David Rudall (d
Emily Avent (e
You can also contact the study team by emailing schema
This study will close on the 31 March 2024
Perinatal
The National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) is heading an important research study called Maternal Wellbeing, Mental Health and Life Experiences.
This is an online survey that’s looking to understand more about how life experiences and COVID-19 have impacted on maternal wellbeing and mental health during the perinatal period.
We hope the findings will lead to new and improved ways of recognising and providing support in times of need.
The survey can be found here.
To take part in this study, people must:
- Be over 18-years-old
- Be pregnant or have given birth in the last 12 months
Individuals with or without a mental health diagnosis are welcome to complete the survey.
Participants will also be entered into a prize draw to win up to the value of £100 for their continued participation in the follow up maternal mental health surveys.
AWP Research and Development contacts:
Alexandra Young (alexandra
This study closes on the 31 March 2025
Physical health
Tobacco smoking remains a leading cause of ill health, early death, and causes health inequalities. Data from 2020 shows that hospital admissions due to smoking had risen 10% over 10 years ago. This costs the NHS £2.5 billion per year. The UK government set out an ambition to reduce the number of people that smoke to 5% or less by 2030.
Most NHS settings first offer smokers tobacco dependence treatment. This is an opt-in approach; where healthcare professionals can offer support to people that seek help to quit.
A different approach, where smokers are given treatment and support to quit smoking automatically, unless they choose to opt-out has been shown to double the number of people that quit.
This approach involves identifying smokers and providing support to quit through behavioural counselling and pharmacotherapy offered routinely through inpatient admissions, maternity services, and mental health settings.
The Tobacco Dependence Service (TDS) Evaluation aims to understand whether this service is effective. This includes what is working well, what could improve, and what makes a successful service.
To take part in staff interviews for this study, individuals must:
- Be a frontline healthcare professional, manager or supervisor involved in delivering or supporting the delivery of the NHS-funded TDS
- Work in acute, maternity, or mental health settings
To take part in service user interviews for this study, individuals must:
- Be aged 18 or over
- Be accessing acute settings where length of stay is greater than one day, maternity services or mental health inpatient services
Further information for staff:
Individuals would take part in semi-structured interviews to explore the delivery of the TDS intervention, including the barriers and enablers to implementing the intervention.
The interviews can be face-to-face, over the phone or using a secure video conferencing platform. The interview would last for up to 1 hour.
Further information for service users:
Individuals would take part in semi-structured interviews about their understanding of and feelings towards the tobacco dependence intervention.
The interviews can be face-to-face, over the phone or using a secure video conferencing platform. The interview would last for up to 1 hour.
Further information for all who take part:
Individuals who take part in the study will be offered a £15 Amazon voucher as a thank you.
AWP Research and Development contacts:
Monalisa Bora-White (monalisa
Holly Spray (h
This study closes on 30 June 2025
Physical and mental health
The DIAMONDS Trial is a Randomised Control Trial (RCT) looking at improving diabetes self-management for people with severe mental illness (SMI) by comparing using a 6-month programme with usual care.
The DIAMONDS trial aims to test a self-management intervention that can specifically help people with diabetes and severe mental illness to be healthier. The intervention has been developed in partnership with people with mental illness and diabetes, their family members/friends, and the healthcare staff who support them.
The trial will last for 12 months. Taking part will involve completing a number questionnaires, clinical assessments, physical health checks and providing a blood sample at an initial appointment, and then again at 6 and 12 months. Visits will either take place at Gloucester Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust or Somerset Partnership NHS Trust.
To take part in the study, people must:
- Be aged 18 and over
- Have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, psychosis or severe depression
- Have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes
DIAMONDS study team contact:
Dr Grace O'Carroll, Trial Coordinator (Grace
Lucy Sheehan, Trial Coordinator (lucy
AWP Research and Development contact:
Monalisa Bora-White (monalisa
This study closes on 31 May 2024
Self-harm
Repeated self-harm is common, and is linked to other problems like lower quality of life and depression. The FReSH START RCT study team at the University of Leeds are running this study to see if adapted therapies are better at supporting people who self-harm, than therapies that are currently used in the NHS.
They have adapted three talking therapies that are currently used in the NHS. The study aims to see if these therapies improve quality of life and reduce self-damaging behaviours.
To take part in this study, people must:
- Have presented an Emergency Department (ED) for self-harm and have been assessed, as well as referred by the ED Team to the study
- Be registered with a GP in the catchment area of Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust for the duration of therapy
- Have mental capacity to provide fully informed consent
- Be aged 18 years or over
People cannot take part in this study if they:
- Are receiving, or been referred to, a specific psychological intervention that is similar to the trial intervention, or where a specific intervention is indicated for a related condition (e.g. anorexia nervosa) and would conflict with trial participation
- Have taken part in the FReSH START Feasibility Study
- Are assessed by a clinician as currently unsuitable for therapy. This may be due to individuals being in crisis, actively suicidal, past talking treatments leading to deterioration of mental state, diagnosis of schizophrenia, autism, or other severe mental illness that requires tailored talking therapies
- Lack capacity to comply with study requirements
- Have insufficient understanding of English to take part in talking therapy
- Have a known risk of violence
Further information:
People who decide to take part will be allocated randomly (like tossing a coin) to either the intervention or the standard care. If they are allocated to intervention, they will then be allocated randomly again to either adapted Cognitive Behaviour Therapy or adapted Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy.
Participants who are randomly allocated to the intervention will have up to 12 sessions of therapy with a trained therapist. The sessions will take around 45 minutes each and will be done over a 6 month period. For people who are allocated to standard care, they will receive the care that the Trust normally provides to people who self-harm. Sessions can take place online or in person.
During the study, monthly texts will be sent to participants to check in on how they are doing and whether they have self-harmed in the last month, these are secure and confidential texts.
All participants will be asked to complete questionnaires at the start of the study, then at 6 months and 12 months into the study about wellbeing. There will also be some shorter questionnaires to complete at 3 months and 9 months into the study.
Participants will get a £20 Amazon voucher for completing the questionnaires at 6 months from the start of the study, and a £40 Amazon voucher for completing the 12 month follow up questionnaires.
AWP Research and Development contacts:
This study closes on the 31 September 2024
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