Research: Medications and my mental health
Investigating and researching mental health medications in the lives of people with learning disabilities.
Project summary
Research summary
- February 2023 – June 2024
People with learning disabilities are more likely to be diagnosed with mental health problems and are more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications (drugs that affects behaviour, mood, thoughts, or perception) compared to other people.
There are a number of side effects that result from multiple medications, which can contribute to high mortality rates.
The views of people with learning disabilities, their family members and paid carers are largely absent when talking about potentially harmful over-prescribing of psychotropic medications.
We need greater insight into people’s understanding and experience of taking these medications.
The central aim of this research is to develop a co-produced toolkit to support decision-making for adults with learning disabilities in relation to mental health prescribing and usage.
This project will be co-produced with co-researchers with learning disabilities from each of four collaborating self-advocacy organisations across the North of England.
Research outputs
Academic papers, reports and other research outputs will be linked from here when they are published.
Research team
Research team
Lead researcher
Co-researchers
- Prof Chris Hatton (Manchester Metropolitan University)
- Prof Katherine Runswick-Cole (University of Sheffield)
- Prof Umesh Chauhan (University of Central Lancashire)
- Christine Hutchinson (Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust)
Collaborators
- Manchester People First
- Sunderland People First
- Speakup Self Advocacy
- People First in Cumbria
Funding
With funding from:
National Institute of Health Research
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) under its Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme (Grant Reference Number NIHR204107)
Contact
Contact us
For general enquiries about this project and our mental health research group, you can contact research lead Dr Sue Caton.
