University of Cumbria has secured £2.5 million to fund mental health research across the region.
The funding, which has come from the National Institute of Health and Care Research, will go towards a three-and-a-half-year initiative aimed at tackling mental health inequalities across the region.
It will be co-led by the University’s Professor Joy Duxbury and Professor Michelle Baybutt and will focus on applied mental health research, with a strong emphasis on understanding and addressing the unique struggles faced by people living and working in remote areas.
The university said it marks a turning point for mental health research in Cumbria, where communities have long faced challenges related to access, isolation, and disadvantage.
It added that Cumbria continues to experience high levels of poverty, suicide, self-harm, and a growing sense of hopelessness among young people and said that these issues have remained under-researched until now.
The initiative will build upon and invest in mental health research at the University of Cumbria, supported by a network of experts, community partners, and people with lived experience.
NHS partners, both local and specialist, will also contribute their expertise in areas such as youth mental health, crisis intervention, and support for individuals with learning disabilities.
Key areas of focus will include:
- The complex needs of individuals with autism or learning difficulties who are experiencing mental health conditions, and the persistent gaps in services and support available to them.
- Challenges associated with mental health crises in the community, particularly in urgent and emergency care, which are compounded by remoteness and limited access in rural and coastal areas.
- The specific needs of children and young people in Cumbria, where health risking behaviours are high.
- The use of green and blue spaces like forests, lakes, and coastlines to engage with communities and support mental health and wellbeing.
- The goal is to listen to local voices, explore the root causes of poor mental health, and co-develop practical, lasting solutions. The team will work closely with individuals and groups across Cumbria to understand how the research can best address their lived experiences and real needs.
Professor Joy Duxbury OBE, director of research and knowledge exchange for the Institute of Health at University of Cumbria said: “This funding is a powerful endorsement of our commitment to improving mental health outcomes in Cumbria.
“We’re proud to lead a project that puts community voices at the centre and aims to create lasting impact through research, collaboration, and innovation.”
Alexis Quinn, a leading expert from The Restraint Reduction Network will be leading on all aspects of the co-production work. She said: “Having personally experienced over three years of mental health challenges that left me inappropriately detained within a system that failed to understand my needs, I know first-hand the devastating cost of getting it wrong.
“This initiative isn’t just about research; it’s about shifting the balance of power and deeply understanding the needs of those in underserved communities. As the lead for co-production, my role is to ensure that people with lived experience are not just an afterthought, but the driving force behind everything we do.”
The project is supported by two leading ‘mentor universities,’ University of Oxford and Newcastle University who are both renowned for their work in mental health and inequality research.
Professor Kamaldeep Bhui CBE is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford.
He is also director of the World Psychiatric Association Collaborating Centre, and a director of research and implementation at Public Mental Health Implementation Centre. He said: “This is an amazing opportunity to tackle health inequalities.
“We need better research that includes those most in need of health and social care and preventive interventions; during this initiative we will build infrastructure and leadership, and advance creative, interdisciplinary, and inclusive lived experience methodologies.”
Professor Eileen Kaner is the director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria.
She said: “This award is a game changer for the University of Cumbria, which holds great talent in applied health and care research, but less critical mass.
“The investment in mental health research leadership, will ensure the team has strength and depth to address key health needs for the people of Cumbria.”
