Call will support research on identification and mitigation of the mental health effects of pandemic
UK Research and Innovation has launched a joint call with the National Institute for Health Research to investigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health.
The call, which is funded through the UKRI-NIHR Covid-19 rapid response rolling call, will support research on the quick identification and mitigation of the acute mental health effects of the pandemic.
According to the funders, the aim is to “reduce the emergence of new, and exacerbation of existing, mental health problems, and to improve outcomes for people whose mental health has already been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic”.
UKRI chief executive Mark Walport said: “The challenges of Covid-19 and the necessary actions taken by all of us to slow its spread have had a profound effect on the way we live our lives.
“As lockdowns begin to ease, the impacts of these changes are likely to linger for months, if not years, to come. The research funded by this call will help us to understand the scope of these effects on our mental health, within a timeframe that will enable these findings to benefit those most in need.”