Did you know that persistent loneliness is as damaging to your physical health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day?

For the final episode of our mental health mini-series, we’re joined by Dr Liz Littlewood and Professor Simon Gilbody from the University of York to explore the BASIL project. This massive research initiative stepped up during a global crisis to tackle a critical but overlooked issue: the mental health, depression, and rising isolation of older adults.

Listen as we discuss the incredible journey of adapting brief psychological support into a fully remote, "telephone-first" intervention. We dive into how behavioural activation helps people reconnect with what brings value to their lives, stripping away "psychobabble" to keep things straightforward and co-produced alongside experts and users. They also share the historic scale of the BASIL+ trial, the largest ever randomised controlled trial of its kind, and how its positive results are shaping the future of NHS care by moving from treatment to prevention.

Tune in to find out how a brief series of 30-minute phone calls managed to create a sustained reduction in depression 12 months down the line, and stick around for the end to hear a joke from the TV show Friends!

Find out more about BASIL: https://sites.google.com/nihr.ac.uk/basil/

Read the results paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666756823002386

Music by Matthew Bailey

How can digging into the past protect the future of mental health for older people in custody?

For the next episode in our mental health mini-series, we’re joined by Professor Amanda Perry and Professor John Schofield to explore the PAMHOP project. This pioneering feasibility study is tackling a critical but overlooked issue: the mental and physical wellbeing of older people in custody by introducing co-produced, interactive workshops directly in prison sites.

Listen as we discuss the massive gap in current research including a systematic review that did not find a single randomized controlled trial for this demographic. We dive into how the team designed and delivered custom interactive sessions, from archaeology activities to craft sessions and book clubs, with the goal of improving overall wellbeing. They also share how these insights are being used to develop a dedicated toolkit, providing prisons with a concrete framework to support mental and physical health of older people in custody.

Tune in to find out what happened when a workshop unexpectedly turned into a group song, and see how collaborating with the Prison Radio Association is amplifying the voices and restoring the confidence of people in custody!

Find out more about PAMHOP: https://www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/research/mental-health/projects/physical-mental-health-older-prisoners/

Music by Matthew Bailey

With nearly 2.9 million people in the UK now economically inactive due to illness, how can we balance the drive for national productivity with the personal need for mental health recovery?

For the next episode in our mental health mini-series, we’re joined by Professor Rowena Jacobs and Professor Lina Gega to discuss the Support2Work project. This comprehensive national evaluation is investigating the impact of placing employment advisors directly into NHS Talking Therapies to help individuals navigate work-related challenges alongside their psychological treatment.

Listen as we chat about the staggering £200 billion annual cost of economic inactivity and whether combining practical job support with therapy offers better value for taxpayers than therapy alone. We explore the unique "UK-specific" nature of this crisis and how the team is using a mixed methods analysis and an elephant analogy to translate complex health economics into life-changing policy.

Tune in to hear how the project’s name, suggested by a service user, won over our hosts, and how these practical pathways to impact are helping to bridge the gap between clinical care and the labour market!

Find out more about Support2work: https://www.york.ac.uk/che/mental-health/support2work/

In settings where mental health specialists are scarce, how can we ensure patients get the care they need?

For our first episode in our May mental health mini-series, we’re joined by Dr Mehreen Faisal and Karen Coales to discuss the SPiRiT-D project. This innovative hybrid trial is bridging the mental health treatment gap in Pakistan by testing a collaborative care model to deliver evidence-based talking therapy with non-mental health professionals.

Listen as we chat about how to reach underserved communities, and how the team has culturally adapted their support to ensure it resonates with local patients. Stick around for our random research questions to find out why a little 'Chaos and Patience' is all you need to change the world of mental health!

Find out more about SPiRiT-D: https://www.impactsouthasia.com/

Read the Protocol Paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13063-026-09453-5

Music by Matthew Bailey

Can we reduce the mental health impact of war?

This week in The Research Room, we’re venturing outside of the Department of Health Sciences once again! We're joined by Samantha Holmes from the York Law School and the Centre for Applied Human Rights for a fascinating look into the world of international law and conflict-related mental harm.

Sam shares her research as part of the Beyond Compliance Consortium (BCC), a global partnership investigating how to minimise civilian suffering during armed conflict. Using a qualitative approach, centered on the lived experiences of local communities across nine case-study countries, Sam's research explores how the reality of war impacts mental wellbeing and aims to uncover better ways to protect civilians and respond to the suffering caused by conflict.

Plus discover how the team is using gamification to turn complex research findings into an interactive mobile game!

Find out more about the BCC: https://beyond-compliance-consortium.org/

Listen to the BCC Podcast: https://beyond-compliance-consortium.org/podcast/

Music by Matthew Bailey

Happy Easter from The Research Room! We're taking a break for Easter this week and as it is The National Autistic Society's World Autism Acceptance Month we're re-visiting one of our favourite episodes from last year, The ASSSIST 2 Trial!

Dr. Kerry Bell and Dr. Jane Blackwell join us to chat about this fantastic trial, completed in 2022, which explored whether Social Stories™ could be an effective way to support autistic children at school. We discuss the ins and outs of the trial, the challenges they faced, especially when COVID threw a curveball their way and, excitingly, they even have results to share!

Resources & Links from this Episode

For more information about the ASSSIST 2 project, email jane.blackwell@york.ac.uk or kerry.bell@york.ac.uk

Find out more about the ASSSIST 2 on the project website: https://www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/research/trials/ytutrialsandstudies/archive/asssist-2/

Check out the full trial findings here: https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/camh.12740

Watch the ASSSIST 2 trial come to life in this animation: https://youtu.be/NX0z6INrzdo?feature=shared

Read the NIHR HTA report for the project here: https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hta/JBTM8017

Music by Matthew Bailey

Can we transform the dental chair from a place of fear into a space of calm for our youngest patients?

Approximately 1 in 5 children between the ages of 8 and 16 experience dental anxiety severe enough to impact their ability to visit the dentist. This week in the Research Room, we're joined by Professor Zoe Marshman and Vicky Exley to talk about the CALM Trial, a brilliant study exploring whether specialised cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) support can help children overcome dental anxiety and get the care they need.

Join us to explore why dental anxiety is so prevalent in children, its long-term impact on their oral health and well-being and how this research is paving the way for a more supportive dental experience. Plus, we find out why children are the ultimate research partners!

Find out more about CALM on the trial website https://sheffield.ac.uk/dentalschool/research/calm

Music by Matthew Bailey