Putting mental health research into biological and social silos reflects the specialisations of researchers more than the reality for patients. New funder MQ must be brave enough to work across the divide, argues Adam Smith.
It’s boom time for mental health research in the UK. Public funders are supporting more work in the area, and the Wellcome Trust is pumping £20 million into a dedicated funder called MQ: Transforming Mental Health. The charity hopes to raise money from investments, philanthropy and public fundraising. There’s a chance for mental health here: not only is it time to do more research, it’s time to get political with it.
Getting political does not mean that MQ ought to be looking for evidence to support a predetermined position. It means seeing mental health in the round, as a complex interaction between biological, social, environmental and economic factors.
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