In 2024, MQ Mental Health Research created a series of transdisciplinary research grants, developed and funded by Wellcome, to support researchers outside psychiatry, psychology, and neuroscience to apply bold and novel ideas and methods from their discipline to mental health science. Here are the seven recipients for this year’s grants.
Using Digital Tools to Support Mental Health After a Brain Injury
Millions of people face mental health challenges like depression and PTSD after traumatic brain injuries (TBI), yet many struggle to access care. Dr Tom Bashford and his team at the University of Cambridge explored how digital tools like apps, texts, and calls can bridge this gap by improving communication and offering timely support. Their research found that these tools make mental health care more accessible by enabling regular check-ins and resource-sharing, even in underserved areas. However, usability challenges and maintaining engagement highlight the need for simple, adaptable designs that fit seamlessly into patients’ lives and healthcare systems.
Read the rest of the study here.
Exploring the Benefits of Gardening for Mental Health
Recent research highlights how Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH)—using gardening activities like planting and weeding—can help manage depression and anxiety. Dr Carly Wood and her team at the University of Essex reviewed 17 studies with 879 participants and found that STH significantly reduced depression and moderately eased anxiety. Combining physical activity, nature, and social interaction, STH offers a unique way to improve mental health, especially for those with complex needs. However, small sample sizes and inconsistent follow-ups limit the findings, pointing to a need for higher-quality studies comparing STH to traditional treatments like medication or talk therapy.
Read the rest of the study here.
How Anxiety and Depression Affect the Way We Move
Dr Aleksandra Birn-Jeffery’s team reviewed over 9,000 studies to explore how anxiety and depression impact movement, narrowing their focus to 85 studies with input from individuals with lived experience of these conditions. They found that depression often slows walking speed, shortens strides, and increases breaks, while anxiety showed less consistent effects, possibly due to a lack of research on long-term (trait) anxiety. The review highlights gaps in understanding how these conditions independently affect movement and suggests the potential for “movement biomarkers” to aid mental health diagnosis and monitoring, paving the way for innovative, movement-based approaches to mental health care.
Read the rest of the study here.
Exploring the Role of Creative AI in Art Therapy
Art therapy allows individuals to express emotions through creating art, but traditional methods can be challenging for some. With the rise of creative AI tools that generate art from simple text prompts, Dr Alison Pease and her team explored how these innovations could enhance therapy, particularly for those with physical limitations or low confidence in their art skills. By reviewing prior studies and gathering insights from therapists and patients, the team identified the potential for AI to complement traditional therapy by fostering creativity while emphasizing the need for safe, supportive, and accessible designs. Collaboration between computing experts and therapists proved vital to ensure these tools enhance, rather than replace, the therapeutic human connection.
Read the rest of the study here.
Addressing Mental Health Challenges in Juvenile Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is rising globally, with cases in children under 14 increasing by 1.8% annually from 2002 to 2012, and up to 30% of these kids struggling with depression. Dr Archana Nepal’s team investigated “pre-depression,” an early stage of emotional distress, to see if it could reduce stigma and encourage early mental health support for young diabetics. However, their research found that “pre-depression” often confused patients, caregivers, and doctors, failing to address stigma or improve early interventions. Instead, the team identified a critical need for accessible mental health services in hospitals and schools, along with greater caregiver support. Their work now focuses on practical strategies to enhance early mental health care and integrate physical and emotional health support for young diabetes patients.
Read the rest of the study here.
Understanding the Potential of AI to Help New Mothers
Perinatal depression and anxiety (PDA) significantly impact mothers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where stigma, lack of awareness, and scarce resources hinder mental health care. A study by Dr Uchechi Shirley Anaduaka, Dr Ayomide Oluwaseyi Oladosu and Samantha Katsande analyzed 19 key studies on using artificial intelligence (AI) to address PDA, highlighting AI’s potential to identify at-risk mothers through machine learning and tools like the Kenyan “Zuri chatbot.” While promising, gaps remain in exploring tools beyond postpartum depression and addressing ethical concerns like data privacy and consent. Future research must prioritize advanced AI applications and ensure ethical, community-informed approaches to improve maternal mental health care.
Read the rest of the study here.
The Intersection of Mental Health and Geography
Mental health and geography are deeply interconnected, as Dr Cheryl McGeachan’s research highlights. Her team explored how the environments we live in influence mental health and how lived experiences shape these spaces in return. Moving beyond traditional psychiatric perspectives, they focused on personal narratives through social sciences, humanities, and creative initiatives like storytelling and geo-story workshops. These efforts revealed how environments profoundly affect mental well-being, underscoring the importance of designing supportive spaces and addressing systemic inequalities. Cheryl’s work aims to inspire future research that prioritizes lived experiences and the vital connection between place and mental health.
Read the rest of the study here.
Other ways you can support us
Fundraise for us
Raise money for mental health research by organising a fundraising event.
Volunteer for research
Drive forward our understanding of mental health by taking part in research studies.
The post Introducing 2024’s Transdisciplinary Grant Recipients first appeared on MQ Mental Health Research.
