Building the future of mental health research in the Tees Valley

By Professor Emma Giles, Dr Natalie Connor, Jordan Duffy and the MHLA Team

Mental health affects all of us, whether directly or through our families, friends, colleagues or communities. Across the Tees Valley, many people face significant barriers to accessing support, alongside wider health inequalities that can have a major impact on wellbeing. We know that challenges such as long healthcare waiting times, social isolation, workforce pressures, and the need for better joined-up physical and mental healthcare continue to affect people across our region.

Over the past year, through the Teesside University Mental Health Leader Award (MHLA, NIHR207598) awarded to us by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, we've been working with communities, practitioners, researchers and people with lived experience to better understand these challenges and identify the mental health research questions that matter most locally. A key part of this work has been listening. We have spoken with health and social care professionals, voluntary sector organisations, community groups and members of the public. More than 390 people have contributed to the process, including over 45 people with lived experience of mental health challenges who generously shared their perspectives and expertise.

What we heard was clear. Participants highlighted the need to improve access to services, better support children and young people, address workforce wellbeing, reduce social isolation, and strengthen connections between physical and mental healthcare. People also emphasised the importance of ensuring that underserved communities have a voice in shaping future research.

Alongside identifying priorities, we've been helping to build mental health research capacity within Teesside University and across the Tees Valley. This has included training and learning opportunities, networking events, stakeholder workshops, conference presentations, publications, and support for research funding applications. We've also funded seven seedcorn projects, giving early and mid-career researchers the opportunity to develop innovative ideas that could make a real difference to people's lives.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this work has been seeing new relationships and collaborations develop. Researchers, practitioners, community organisations and public contributors have come together with a shared commitment to improving mental health across our region. These partnerships are creating strong foundations for future research and future impact.

We've also been able to strengthen Teesside University's mental health research infrastructure by developing a novel risk management framework for applied mental health researchers and piloting a restorative supervision model. Together, these initiatives will help support high-quality, responsible and sustainable research in the years ahead.

Looking ahead, we are excited about the opportunities this work has created. We now have a clear set of research priorities shaped by the people and communities we hope to benefit. The next step is to build on this foundation and deliver research that helps improve services, reduces inequalities and supports better mental health outcomes across the Tees Valley.

Most importantly, we will continue to work alongside local communities, practitioners and people with lived experience to ensure that future research reflects the realities of people's lives and contributes to meaningful, lasting change.

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Research at Teesside University

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