Studies Recruiting at ELFT

Summary: The overall aim of this observational study is to identify the staff communication that characterises successful de-escalation of patients displaying aggressive behaviour in acute mental health settings, avoiding the need to use physical restraint (held to prevent movement), seclusion (locked in isolation) and forced tranquilisation (involuntarily injected with psychotropic medication). 

Chief Investigator: Dr Mary Lavelle 

Principle Investigator: Dr Rebecca Lingard 

Summary: This study aims to understand the requirements of service users being discharged from adult mental health wards. It also aims to understand how service users, carers and staff understand personalised discharge planning and what they identify as key outcomes to determine this. 

Chief Investigator: Dr Jon Wilson  

Principle Investigator: Professor Frank Rohricht 

Summary: The primary objective of this randomised control trial is to determine whether a dementia related manual for sleep improves sleep disturbance in people living with dementia at home at 8 months compared to usual treatment. 

Chief Investigator: Dr Penny Rapaport 

Principle Investigator: Dr Michelle Hamill  

Summary: The overall aim of this pragmatic randomised control trial is to test whether group arts therapies are effective for diagnostically heterogeneous patient groups receiving care in community secondary mental health services. The trial compares group arts therapy (art, dance movement or music) to active group counselling control with internal pilot and nested process evaluation.  

Chief Investigator: Dr Catherine Carr 

Principle Investigator: Jennifer French 

Summary:  The overarching aim of this trial is to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of Intensive Community Care Services compared with Usual Care, Treatment As Usual in young people with severe psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, the trial aims to establish the impact of Intensive Community Care Services compared to Treatment As Usual on returning to/time to gain employment or training.   

Chief Investigator: Professor Dennis Ougrin 

Principle Investigator: TBC 

Summary: The aim of this randomised control trial is to evaluate the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of a brief and low cost psychological intervention in reducing self-harm attendances to the emergency departments and improving secondary outcomes, i.e., self-reported self-harm, suicidality, psychological wellbeing, social outcomes, quality of life, experiences of attending the emergency department and suicide. 

Chief Investigator: Professor Rose McCabe 

Principle Investigator: Rikke Albert / Chloe Beale 

Summary: The overall objective of this mixed-methods study is to compare lived experiences of emotions, behaviour, cognitions, identity, and social interaction between autistic women and women with a personality disorder diagnosis. The study also aims to understand the facilitators and barriers in the journey towards gaining recognition of autism amongst women diagnosed with personality disorder. 

Chief Investigator: Dr Kirsten Barnicot 

Principle Investigator: Dr Tennyson Lee 

Summary: 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 where the aim is to collect genetic and clinical data from volunteers to build up a central library of information about people’s health. The project will explore genetic and environmental factors associated with risk for depression and anxiety disorders in the UK, to understand these common disorders and help develop better treatments.  

Chief Investigator: Professor Gerome Breen 

Principle Investigator: Professor Frank Rohricht 

Summary: East London Genes and Health is supporting studies looking at how genes influence disease. By involving large numbers of local Bangladeshi and Pakistani people the study hopes to find new ways of improving the health of Bangladeshi and Pakistani people in East London and worldwide. The participants will be asked to donate a small saliva sample and share their GP and hospital medical records in strict with confidence with the study team.  

Chief Investigator: Professor David Van Heel 

Principle Investigator: Dr Nick Bass 

Summary: Previous research has found that carers of patients treated under the Mental Health Act often feel isolated and unsupported, causing emotional difficulties and strain on relationships. Providing peer support to carers can reduce their stress and improve their quality of life. Therefore, this project aims to understand how to effectively support family members and friends (carers) of people treated under the Mental Health Act. 

Chief Investigator: Dr Domenico Giacco 

Principle Investigator: Dr Kurt Buhagiar 

Summary: This randomised controlled trial aims to identify which brief, remote psychosocial intervention for people with SMHPs who report recent suicidal ideation or suicide attempt is most clinically effective and cost-effective in preventing avoidable admissions in comparison to treatment as usual. Furthermore, it aims to determine the safety of the interventions. The brief remote interventions compared include 1) structured peer support, 2) safety planning, and 3) suicide prevention app. 

Chief Investigator: Professor Anthony Morrison 

Principle Investigator: Dr Justyna Sierpatowska 

Summary: Some two million people in the UK are living with or beyond cancer. About a third of these patients report poor quality of life. The SURECAN study is looking at developing and testing a novel psychological intervention based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for these patients. Through this intervention, the study team aim to put patients’ views about what they value most in their lives at the heart of the therapy, in order to improve their quality of life. 

Chief Investigator: Dr Stephanie Taylor  

Principle Investigator: Dr John Whitehead 

Summary: This prospective longitudinal study aims to develop, validate and pilot a smartphone app (Urban Mind) to predict the risk of relapse in patients with psychosis. The prediction will be based on active and passive data collected through a smartphone app. 

Chief Investigator: Professor Andrea Mechelli 

Principle Investigator: TBC