Ireland’s Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler TD, has announced a €3m investment in mental health research to advance understanding in areas such as youth mental health, ADHD in adults, women’s mental health, and loneliness in older people.
A grant of €1m will establish a new all-island Collaborative Research Network in mental health which will be led by Maynooth University in partnership with the University of Galway and the National Suicide Research Foundation at the University College Cork.
The network will embed lived experience in mental health research through co-production of studies between academics and public involvement, while also building capacity and career opportunities for researchers in the area of mental health.
It will also co-ordinate mental health research by identifying research gaps and fostering partnerships between academic institutions in Ireland and internationally.
A further €2m will fund 10 separate mental health research projects, directly delivering on commitments in the National Mental Health Research Strategy and Sharing the Vision – A Mental Health Policy for Everyone.
These investments are supported by the Health Research Board’s dedicated mental health research budget provided by Butler, which has tripled since 2022, underscoring the Minister’s commitment to evidence-based policy and innovation in mental health.
She said: “This significant investment marks a major step forward in how we understand and respond to mental health needs in Ireland.
This funding demonstrates the whole of government response around mental health and our continued spearheading of scientific excellence to inform policy interventions across government
“Dedicated funding for mental health research has tripled since 2022, reflecting our strong commitment to evidence-based policy and innovation.
“The new all-island Collaborative Research Network will transform how research is co-ordinated, build research capacity, embed lived experience within research projects, and ensure research findings are translated into real-world impact.
“And the 10 funded research projects will make a tangible difference, whether it’s reducing waiting times for young people through single-session intervention approaches, or exploring how GPs can play a greater role in supporting adults with ADHD.
“The insights generated from these projects will help us build a more-responsive, inclusive, and effective mental health service for everyone.”
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, added: “I am delighted to see Maynooth University again leading out on this critical initiative and continuing to develop their health faculty and expertise, following the successful launch of their new School of Nursing last year.
“Research and informed analysis bring multiple benefits to solving societal challenges such as in the mental health arena.
“Breakthroughs often emerge from unexpected inquiries and leading-edge research recognises and supports that.
The new all-island Collaborative Research Network will transform how research is co-ordinated, build research capacity, embed lived experience within research projects, and ensure research findings are translated into real-world impact
“Right across the programme for government we recognise the value of research and its application to public health.
“This funding demonstrates the whole of government response around mental health and our continued spearheading of scientific excellence to inform policy interventions across government.”
And the Health Research Board’s chief executive, Gráinne Gorman, said: “We welcome Minister Butler’s continued commitment to advance mental health research which has seen the HRB’s dedicated mental health research budget triple since 2022.
“This recent investment demonstrates the power of co-production and collaboration in driving research that improves mental health and wellbeing, especially among priority and underserved populations, across the island of Ireland.”
The Collaborative Research Network – CO-PRIME (Co-producing and Promoting Research & Innovation in Mental Health) – led by Professor Sinead McGilloway from Maynooth University, will receive €1m over five years from the Health Research Board.
This network was called for in the National Mental Health Research Strategy.
The CO-PRIME Network will:
Project funding for 10 new studies
The Health Research Board has also invested €2m in 10 new mental health research projects through the Applied Partnership Awards scheme, which brings together knowledge users and researchers to co-develop projects that address real-world needs in health and social care.
In this round of the scheme, the Health Research Board specifically requested applications in mental health, and there was a very high level of interest across the research community.
The funded projects reflect Sharing the Vision’s emphasis on the need for whole-of-government and whole-of-population approaches to mental health.
Research projects funded by the HRB under this call are: