What is the purpose of the study?

Primary Question/Objective:

To establish the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an antidepressant medication (sertraline) for the prevention of a depressive episode following first episode psychosis (FEP).

What will I have to do?

• The research team will assess whether you are eligible to take part (screening).
• You are only included in screening and the main study if you formally agree to take part (give “informed consent”). 
• After consent, you will be asked some questions about you, your health and your medical history.
• If eligible, you are then randomly allocated to one of two groups. There is a 50:50 chance that you may or may not get sertraline.
• We will visit you monthly for 6 months and then once at 12 months to ask you how you have been, plus a blood sample taken at 1 month only. If necessary these visits may be done by phone or video call.

What next?

Please contact us on 07917 926824 or email DHCFT.Research@nhs.net.

What is the purpose of the study?

The GLAD Study is a project set up to explore genetic risk factors in individuals who have suffered with or been diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety. The GLAD Study is a way for those who have experienced depression and/or anxiety to join the NIHR Mental Health BioResource, an NHS NIHR funded project which is part of the NIHR BioResource for Translational Research. The NIHR BioResource is a national initiative with the aim to collect genetic and clinical data from volunteers to build up a central library of information about people’s health. It offers you the chance to take part in ground-breaking research aimed at improving the lives of those not only with depression and anxiety, but other health conditions. 

What is involved?

Register on the GLAD website www.gladstudy.org.uk

Step 1: Giving consent to take part
The consent form includes a description of each of the types of activity you might be invited to take part in. It is up to you which ones you consent to.
We will request access to your medical records. Your data would only be provided to the GLAD and NIHR BioResource teams and, having been anonymised, to researchers approved by the GLAD Study, and/ or NIHR BioResource Steering Committee. We will also ask for your consent to be contacted in the future about other ongoing research studies that may be unrelated to anxiety and depression.

Step 2: Questionnaire data
We will ask you to complete some questions which will ask about your demographics (e.g. age, gender, and employment situation), emotional wellbeing, health and lifestyle, personality and experiences of depression and anxiety. This will take around 30-60 minutes to complete.

Step 3: Saliva sample
We will ask you to provide a saliva sample by spitting into a specially designed collection tube. This will be sent to you at home and you can send it back to us using a freepost envelope which we will provide.
We will extract DNA (i.e. genetic material) from this sample.
Samples will be stored without any of your personal details (e.g. name, date of birth, NHS number). 

Can I take part?

You can take part if you:

• Are aged 16+
• Are living in the UK
• Have received treatment or experienced depression and/or anxiety now or in the past

Potential benefits of the study...

Once you are a member of the resource, you will be able to see information about further optional questionnaires, as well as a number of research studies that you are eligible to take part in. You may also be contacted about studies you may be eligible for that are not only related to anxiety and depression. We may assess your eligibility for these studies based on information you have provided (i.e. questionnaires), or information we have accessed from your medical records (i.e. diagnosis, treatment outcome) or samples (i.e genetic information). If you choose to do so, you can sign up to be a participant in up to four studies per year.
There may be no immediate benefit to you in terms of treatment, but you will contribute to knowledge about some of the causes of depression and/or anxiety. This knowledge may lead to better treatment guidelines and improve future care for patients.
The GLAD Study is an information resource for members as well as researchers. With this in mind, you will have access to pages dedicated to providing useful information to members.

Possible disadvantages...
Some of the questionnaires ask about topics which some people might find sensitive, and about experiences of anxiety and/or depression. You do not have to complete any questions that you do not wish to.
Providing a saliva sample is a very low risk procedure but some people find it unpleasant.
Your participation is strictly confidential and the risk of identifiable information being accidentally disclosed is extremely low.

What next?

If you are interested in participating in this study you can join up online at www.gladstudy.org.uk or for further information please contact our office on 07825 935177 or email DHCFT.Research@nhs.net.

What is it?

The purpose of this trial is to see if a new form of talking therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy plus usual care can reduce anxiety in older people (aged 60+) with chronic worry that has not improved after previous treatment compared to usual care alone.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a new form of talking therapy. It aims to help people learn how to live as best a life as they can with chronic worry, by helping them do things that are important and matter to them, alongside any worries or concerns they may have.

What will I have to do?

You would speak with a researcher who would discuss the trial with you and ask you some questions to find out if you are suitable to take part. If you are, you would then be asked for your consent to take part. A computer would choose at random whether you would be offered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy plus your usual care or your usual care alone.

If offered usual care alone, you would continue with your usual clinical care. If offered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy plus your usual care, you would be offered up to 14, 1-hour sessions of therapy, in addition to your usual clinical care. The sessions can take place in person or by video or phone call.

You will be followed up by a researcher at 6&12 month timepoints and will receive a £25 shopping voucher at each of these timepoints.

What next?

If you are aged 60 and over and:

• You have a diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder
• OR you are experiencing difficulties with chronic worry

then we would like to hear from you.

Please email Joely.morgan1@nhs.net or call 07557894071 if you are interested in taking part.

*Recently Closed for recruitment*

What is it?

We are inviting people to take part in a questionnaire-based research study investigating the outcomes for patients with some memory problems, who have been referred to memory assessment services but do not receive a dementia diagnosis from their specialist. Very limited information exists on such outcomes and hence we are interested in understanding the attitudes, views, and lifestyle practices of patients immediately following discharge from memory clinics, and after a one-year period.

We would also like to understand the reason for your GP’s referral and possible changes to your lifestyle practices. Lifestyle practices are the way you live your daily life, such as your physical activity levels and dietary habits. We want to understand your attitudes, views, and any lifestyle changes immediately after visiting the memory assessment service and after a one-year period.

What will I have to do?

If you decide to take part we will kindly ask you to sign two copies of the Consent Form, keeping one for your record. We will then ask you to complete a questionnaire either online or in paper form.

In one years’ time, we may ask if you would like to complete a follow-up questionnaire

What next?

Please email Joely.morgan1@nhs.net or call 07557894071 if you are interested in taking part.

What is the purpose of the study?

Primary Question/Objective:

iACT4CARERS is an online programme tailored for family carers of people with dementia. This programme is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This new therapy is not about accepting the diagnosis or situations you are currently facing. This therapy helps people to learn how to live with difficult or distressing thoughts and feelings, while still trying to do things that really matter to them or being the type of person they want to be.
This therapy may be particularly suited to family carers due to its focus on helping people learn how to best live their lives, whilst coping with the difficulties they may be experiencing that are out of their control such as caring responsibilities.

What will I have to do?

• So long as you are aged over 18, caring for a family member with dementia, wish to accept this type of support, have internet access, and are not currently accepting CBT or counselling [being on a waiting list is acceptable] you are eligible to participate. Interpreters can be provided if required as the therapy is delivered in English.
• If you verbally express an interest in participation, you will be requested to provide your contact details to permit the study team to make contact with you.
• The study team will make contact to confirm eligibility, and receive your verbal consent to participate
• The study team will run through a screening process to proceed with partaking in the study. This involves some questionnaires about yourself, your thoughts and feelings regarding your caregiving role.
• If you are eligible, you will be randomly allocated by computer to receive either iACT4CARERS plus your current treatment OR your current treatment alone (no iACT4CARERS). You will have an equal chance of being allocated to either of the groups. Your current treatment refers to any type of support you are currently receiving from health and social care services. You can continue to access support you are currently receiving during the study.
• Participants allocated to receive iACT4CARERS will be given a link to the iACT4CARERS website and login details to access the programme. You will be asked to complete eight online sessions in 12 weeks from this. You will lose access to iACT4CARERS after 12 weeks if you have not completed all eight sessions.
• Each session will take 40-60 minutes of self-study time. If you need to stop during the session, you can always come back to it at any time and start from where you left off last time. Your dedicated therapist will provide feedback and answer your questions online every week. You will also be invited to book a one-to-one session with your therapist at the start of the programme, and another one-to-one session a few weeks after this.
• In order to examine how helpful iACT4CARERS is for family carers, you will be asked to complete the same questionnaires about yourself and your thoughts and feelings regarding your caregiving role that you completed at the beginning at 12 and 24 weeks after you start the study. Each follow-up assessment should not take more than 50 minutes to complete.
• It is really important that you try to complete all follow-up assessments, regardless of whether you are allocated to receive iACT4CARERS or not, and even if you stop completing the online programme. This ensures we have all the information we need to properly test how well iACT4CARERS works in improving the well-being of family carers. You will be entered into a prize draw to win one of 50 £20 gift vouchers for completing follow-up assessments, regardless of whether you are allocated to receive iACT4CARERS or not.
• Some participants from the group allocated to receive iACT4CARERS will also be invited to take part in an individual interview at the end of the study. This interview part is optional, and you will receive further detail and be asked to consent to take part in the interview session separately if invited.

What next?
Please contact Sophie on 07920 411 522 or email sophie.occleshaw@nhs.net to if this is something you wish to find out more about.

What is it?

Over half of adults in the UK gamble; but nearly two million of these suffer problems such as debt, relationship troubles, and mental health problems. Most people who experience gambling harms do not ask for help or get sent for treatment. However, people do ask for help from places such as Community and NHS Mental Health Services or Charities such as Humankind.  The aim of this research is to find out how many people may be suffering from gambling related harm in mental health and drug and alcohol services in England. You do not have to gamble to take part.

What will I have to do?

The study will involve you filling in a questionnaire (online, over the phone or in person) about gambling and gambling related harm (even if you do not gamble). We would also like your permission/ consent to link the gambling questionnaire to information already collected by this service. We would like this data so we can link it to the gambling questions that we ask. This will be completely anonymous, there will be no way of identifying you. The questionnaire should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete.

What next?

If you are aged 18 or over and currently in contact with any mental health service, we would like to hear from you.

Please email bethany.williams35@nhs.net or call 07500122673 if you are interested in taking part.

What is it?

The purpose of this study is to explore service user, staff and carer experience with a view to identifying how health and social services can improve the care they offer to people from diverse ethnic groups, living with psychosis and multiple long-term conditions and produce resources that help them do that, and explore if improvements are delivered locally.

What will I have to do?

If you or someone you support is likely to be eligible for this project (having a psychotic illness and 2 physical comorbidities eg. cardiovascular, respiratory, liver, kidney diseases, diabetes) please get in touch with the research team.

The research team will then check if you or the person you support is eligible to take part and offer you information about the study so you can think about whether you want to take part. The research team will also ask if it is okay to contact you and send you more detailed information about the workshops for example dates and times.

If you have the health conditions which make you eligible you will be invited to a series of 3 workshops during which you will be engaged in and supported with a photography project exploring and capturing your experiences of managing your mental and physical health and accessing services. You can attend these online or at a local venue. There is a £20 payment per workshop attended for those with the conditions and an optional exhibit of your images if you consent for this. Travel costs can also be reimbursed.

The study team is also interested in the experience of carers, family and staff who support people with these conditions and will hold similar online workshops for them to capture this. A staff survey will be available at the beginning, middle and end of the project to gauge whether improvements are being implemented.

What next?

If you or someone you support has;

a psychotic illness and

physical health comorbidities

Or if you work in health or social care and have particular interest in supporting us with this project.

Please contact rosemary.brodie@nhs.net or call 07990426305

What is the purpose of the study?

The study aims to understand if some cases of psychosis are caused by immune system problems in some people. The immune system normally controls our ability to fight infection. If the immune system goes wrong it may cause diseases called ‘autoimmune’ diseases. We can diagnose some of these immune diseases using blood tests.  

Inclusion Criteria

• Male or Female, aged 18-70

• Diagnosis of first episode psychotic illness, or relapse after a period of wellness

• Symptoms for less than two years

Exclusion Criteria

The participant may not enter the study if ANY of the following apply: 
Any other neurological disorders including multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, cerebrovascular disease, hydrocephalus, traumatic brain injury, meningo-encephalitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, CNS vasculitis or primary drug-induced psychosis

What will I have to do?

You will spend 15 minutes of your time with a member of the research team discussing your illness. You will have a sample of blood taken. We will pay you £10 to compensate for the time and inconvenience.

If you are interested in participating in the study, further information and to check for eligibility please contact our office on 07825 935177 or email DHCFT.Research@nhs.net.

What is it?

This study is recruiting those aged 18+, in the community, who do not currently complete <150minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity per week.

‘Snacktivity’ promotes physical activity throughout the day to accumulate a total of 150mins across the week,

with the use of ‘Activity Snacks’.

‘Activity Snacks’ lasts 2-5 mins, such as:

Calf raises whilst the kettle boils,

Bicep curls with a tin of beans,

Having a disco in the kitchen whilst cooking!

Such activities develop the participant’s confidence to be more physically active, by encouraging small changes to initiate and maintain these habits.

Eligible participants will be randomised to receive either:

The ‘Snacktivity’ intervention, (from a trained Healthcare Professional) and provided with a Fitbit, and access to the ‘SnackApp’!

Or usual care, where their Healthcare Professional will discuss standard NHS Physical health elements.

Participants allocated to the intervention arm get to keep the Fitbit, & regardless of whether they are randomised to ‘usual care’ or the intervention of ‘Snacktivity’; and ALL participants receive a total of £40 throughout the duration of the study!!

What will I have to do?

Interested staff would be ‘trained’ to deliver the intervention, by watching a 15minute video (with a cuppa!).

Once ‘trained’, the study can be mentioned during a client’s routine appointment – to not extend the workload for staff or require any additional appointments to be made.

What next?

If you have clients of your caseload who are aged 18+:

Do not currently complete over 150minutes of moderate-vigorous exercise a week

are not inpatients or bedbound

then we would like to hear from you, to 'train' you to offer this study to your clients.

Please email Sophie sophie.occleshaw@nhs.net or call 07920 411 522, or Dawn dawn.jameson2@nhs.net / 07500 122 673 if you are interested in offering this study to your clients.

What is it?

Visual hallucinations, or visions, is the term used to describe seeing things that others do not. At least one in three people who have psychosis have reported seeing visions. Despite this, little is known about the nature of these experiences. Through speaking with people with lived experience, we have learned that the way in which people make sense of their visions effects the nature of their feelings.  Therefore, we are trying to understand more about the thoughts people have about their visions and the impact they can have on their lives. We want to develop a new questionnaire which will help us to identify what types of thoughts people have. We also want to explore how these thoughts relate to other psychological difficulties, such as sleep and worry. Understanding more about the way in which people make sense of their visual hallucinations, and the impact it has on their lives, will be very helpful in enabling us to develop better treatments for people with visions. 

What will I have to do?

If you decide to take part, you will then be invited to complete a pack of questionnaires which should take around an hour.  These can be completed in your local NHS clinic or at home. A researcher can support you to go through the questionnaires (this might be in person, on the phone, or via video call depending on your preference). It is your choice how to complete the questionnaires. 

The questionnaires cover: information about you (e.g. your age, gender); your experience of visions; your thoughts about your visions; and other feelings and experiences you may have had such as sleep or worry. This will enable us to identify if your thoughts about visions also impact on, or are impacted by, other experiences you may have.

You will receive a £10 shopping voucher as a thank you for taking part.

What next?

If you are aged between 16 – 65 and:

• Are in contact with mental health services
• Have a diagnosis of non-affective psychosis (e.g. schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder or psychosis not otherwise specified)
• Currently experiencing visions (in the last 4 weeks)

then we would like to hear from you.

Please email bethany.williams35@nhs.net or call 07500122673 if you are interested in taking part.

UK-REACH: I-CARE substudy

What is it?

UK-REACH is a study of healthcare workers and people who work in healthcare settings. The I-CARE study builds on the UK-REACH cohort study.  The UK-REACH cohort was set up in 2020 to understand how personal factors (including ethnicity) and work-related factors related to the physical and mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The aim of the current I-CARE study is to improve our understanding of the personal and work-related factors that are related to healthcare workers’ intentions to change or leave their jobs, and sickness absence. In particular, we wish to understand how these factors might differ for staff from minoritised groups (focusing on ethnicity and migration status), and to explore potential reasons for this.

What will I have to do?

We are asking individuals to complete a 25-minute questionnaire online. This will ask for some basic information about you, your ethnicity, plus any thoughts or actions around changing or leaving your healthcare role, and also your attitude and experiences at work. If you have completed previous UK-REACH study questionnaires, then for some questions you will not be asked for details, if your circumstances have not changed.

What next?

If you have previously consented to take part in the UK-REACH cohort study OR joined the register for your relevant healthcare profession since 1^st January 2021 OR started working in a healthcare setting since 1^st January 2021 

AND;

• Are aged 16 and over;
• Live and work in the UK;
• Are a healthcare worker; OR working in a healthcare setting; OR registered with the General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, General Dental Council, Health and Care Professions Council, General Optical Council, General Pharmaceutical Council or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (Note: You do not need to look after patients directly), 

you should have received an email from us. If you fit the above criteria and haven’t been contacted, please use these contact details to get in touch: dhcft.research@nhs.net / bethany.williams35@nhs.net or 01332 623579 / 07500122673.

ENRICH (Enabling Research in Care Homes) is an initiative set up by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) to encourage more research in care homes. The Research Ready Care Home Network provides opportunities for care home staff, residents, families and researchers to come together in order to facilitate the design and delivery of research with the hope of improving quality of life, treatments and care for older people living in care homes.

We currently have over 50 care homes in Derby and Derbyshire signed up to our ENRICH tool kit, predominantly care homes for older adults but also including those for younger people with mental health difficulties and learning disabilities.

If you are interested in finding out more information about the benefits of joining your local network in Derbyshire please contact our office on 07825 935177 or email DHCFT.enrich@nhs.net

What is a Research Ambassador and what are their aims?

A Research Ambassador is a volunteer who promotes research from their perspective. They are enthusiastic about health research and are willing to explain more about research and participation to patients, staff and the public.
A Research Ambassador aims:

• To help service receivers gain easier access to research
• To help develop a research culture within our Trust and to embed and take research forward
• To bridge the gap between patients, staff and the research department
• To give personal experience and views.

Who can be a Research Ambassador?

We are always looking for Research Ambassadors - they can be patient, carer or staff. They should have experience of taking part in research and be passionate. These roles are flexible and will develop with each individual Research Ambassador's strengths.

What sort of things does a Research Ambassador do?

Take part in the Trust induction for new staff

• Promote research projects
• Share personal experience of taking part in research and reassure potential participants who may have concerns
• Speak to staff about the importance of offering research to patients
• Talk to friends, family, patients, staff and the public about research
• Take part in events including International Clinical Trials Day
• Support local engagement teams to raise awareness of opportunities to participate in research studies.

                             Click HERE to listen to Marc's Statement

Marc Riley, Research Ambassador

To learn more about becoming a Research Ambassador please email: keeleymarriott@nhs.net or call 01332 62377 ext 33407 for an informal chat.
 

What sort of things does a Research Volunteer do?

• Data entry
• Feasibility assessments
• General administration duties
• Service user perspective on new initiatives
• Information visits.

These are just a few of the tasks a volunteer may undertake. The role will be adapted and draw on each individual's strengths and areas of interest.

Volunteering in Research - Statement

Volunteering is a good way of occupying spare time as well as gaining valuable work experience and transferable skills. I applied to volunteer in the Research and Development department because I wanted to do something interesting and engaging. Research is very important to the NHS and the wider community as it enables medical professionals to deliver the best treatments based on real-world data which is performed in a scientific and non-biased way. I enjoy working in R&D as it gives me a wide range of opportunities to help support the rest of the team as well as learn new skills.

Karl Ryan, Research Volunteer

For more information on our volunteering opportunities please click HERE to visit our volunteering page.