Centre for Equity in Mental Health offers hope at local and national level

The University of Huddersfield’s new Centre for Equity in Mental Health - University of Huddersfield (CEMH) has been officially launched with a one-day event shining a light on the issues surrounding mental health at a local and national level, timed to coincide with World Mental Health Day – Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.

Over 60 delegates attended the event, led by centre directors Professor Michael Doyle and Professor Ann Caress, to mark the official opening of the CEMH, which has been backed by £11m from Mental Health Research Groups | NIHR.

Following a welcome from the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan CBE, delegates heard and responded to a range of presentations. Professor Doyle outlined the plans for the CEMH, which aims to tackle mental health inequalities across Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield with research programmes and partnerships across health, local authorities, the voluntary sector and businesses.

Debs Teale from local business The Debs Effect reflected on the benefits of creativity on her mental health following years of treatment since her childhood, while Aboobaker Bhana from South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust (SWYPTT) explained how Community Connectors have improved equity in mental health provision.

Professor Sir Louis Appleby CBE, from the University of Manchester, delivered a keynote in his capacity as Chair of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group, while Professor Mark Gabbay, from project mentors the University of Liverpool, discussed why there is such a need for the CEMH’s five-year programme and the possible ramifications for local and national mental health provision.

Professor Michael Doyle, Director, Centre for Equity in Mental Health stated, “The Centre for Equity in Mental Health has been established to address the inequalities that continue to shape people's mental health and access to support. By working closely with communities and partners across Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, we aim to deliver research that leads to meaningful, lasting improvements. The attendance and engagement at our launch event showed the shared commitment to creating fairer mental health services and better outcomes for local people.”

Professor Cryan added, “One of the reasons why we are so excited by this new Centre is that it gives the University the chance to put our research into practice in the local area,.

“We have an excellent track record in research across the institution, but with this Centre we can put some of that research capacity into action locally, over a lengthy period of time that will allow the Centre to see the results and the benefits for people in Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield and beyond.”

Project partners: SWYPT, University of Liverpool, The Debs Effect, Creative Minds, University of York, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Trinity University.