Accelerating research in severe mental illness
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a complex and disabling condition that impacts more than one in every 100 people in the UK. People with BPD often experience difficulties in relationships, managing emotions and impulsiveness, including self-harm and suicidal feelings. Around 10% of those diagnosed take their own lives.
Researchers at Sheffield, together with academics and lived experience experts from across England, have received funding as part of a £22.5m investment to develop new approaches to diagnosis, treatment and support for people who experience serious mental illness.
Professor Scott Weich from the Healthy Lifespan Institute, School of Medicine and Population Health and Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust is leading a new, five year research hub:
“We want to include people who might not necessarily identify with the diagnosis, or who might not have been given a diagnosis or even excluded from mental healthcare settings,” explains Professor Weich. “This will include working with drug and alcohol services, prisons and probation services. The problems associated with Borderline Personality Disorder are extremely common and extend far beyond those with a formal diagnosis.”
This research is one of five Mental Health Platform Hubs established by the Medical Research Council, on behalf of UK Research and Innovation, which is aiming to harness the full power of the UK’s scientific community to tackle large-scale, complex challenges.
