CPFT leads national mission to improve care for psychosis
Researchers at CPFT are leading a national programme to help people experiencing psychosis as early as possible, to improve their mental, physical, and social health.
The Early Intervention Mission is a UK-wide study aiming to improve early identification, monitoring, and personalised care for people with a first episode of psychosis, which can include symptoms like hallucinations, hearing voices, thinking problems and delusions.
This cohort study is a collaboration between multiple universities and NHS Trusts across the UK, led by Professor Graham Murray, consultant psychiatrist at CPFT and Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge.
Graham said: “This research will help us understand who is at risk of early psychosis and how best to target preventative treatment and tailor personalised mental health care to meet their needs. Working with expert colleagues across the UK, we’re on a mission to use new digital technologies, electronic health records and genetic data to improve care and treatment, and support recovery. Effective early intervention can give people a much better quality of life.”
Many sites across the country are involved in the Early Intervention Mission including Cardiff, Birmingham, Oxford, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Exeter, London, and other areas.
The study has expanded with support from the national Mental Health Goals programme, and is hoping to recruit up to 7,500 individuals in the early stages of psychosis, with up to 500 healthy control participants.
To increase recruitment across the country, eligible individuals identified through health service records will be invited to participate remotely via NHS England’s DigiTrials service. Where possible and appropriate, participants may be asked to attend an initial research visit, where they will give a blood or saliva sample and complete a series of questionnaires and cognitive tasks. Participants with psychosis will be followed up every six months for up to three years with digital questionnaires. These will include questions on mood, symptoms, medication use, and quality of life.
The information collected, including clinical data, biological samples, and self-reported experiences, will be stored securely in the Mental Health Mission Trusted Research Environment. Researchers will use this resource to study factors like immune markers, genetics, and social experiences to better understand how psychosis develops and how best to support recovery.
The study is shaped by people with lived experience and aims to build a long-term, representative resource that supports future clinical trials, personalised treatment tools, and innovative approaches to treating early psychosis.
The Early Intervention Mission is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration Mission.
To take part in the Early Intervention Mission study with CPFT, contact the research team at eim@cpft.nhs.uk.