Improving health and reducing health inequalities for people with severe mental illness: the 'Closing the Gap' Network+

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People with severe mental illness (SMI) such as schizophrenia and bipolar illness die on average 20-25 years earlier than those without such disorders. The causes of reduced life expectancy are things such as heart disease or diabetes (and its complications) or cancers associated with lifestyle factors. Rates of smoking and obesity are much higher in this population, and people with SMI often lead sedentary lives. Housing is often poor, and people do not benefit from the opportunities offered by exercise and interaction with the natural environment.The need to improve physical health is recognised in a document known as the Five Year Forward View (FYFV) for Mental Health, where it is described as 'one of the greatest health inequalities in England'. Any solutions to these complex problems requires collaboration between researchers from different backgrounds and with different skills. For research to have impact, it is important that people with experience of SMI (and those who care for them) are involved from the outset. The University of York has a set of researchers with complementary perspectives who have not historically worked together. We will produce research that addresses and reduces this mortality gap. Our plan is to grow our Network with the help of the funds offered, and we will deliver a programme of research and collaboration. Our activities will be overseen by a steering committee with local, national and international expertise. The initial activities of our network will involve four areas of work. The first is led by international experts in how people interact with and benefit from natural environments ('green- and blue-space'). The second area of work will seek to harness the potential of the large amounts of information that are recorded on how people with SMI use health services and the natural environment ('big data'). We will make links between data that have not been connected before. The third area of work will explore the potential of digital technologies (such as smartphones and 'apps') to improve the physical health of people with SMI. The fourth area of work will explore the potential of the arts and creativity to understand and improve the physical health and wellbeing of people with SMI.Collaboration is at the centre of this Network, and we have put in place a plan to ensure that researchers work together to find creative solutions to the problem of the mortality gap. We have also identified issues which cut across the four research areas that we have prioritised. One factor which links each of the themes is the inequality that people with SMI experience when compared to the rest of the population. We have enlisted a research team with a very strong track record in this area. Our Network will run over four years. During this time we will hold events which will encourage collaboration and where new members are added to the Network. Investments will stimulate new initiatives and collaborations. Research in this area is challenging and takes time. Our task will be made easier because we bring to this collaboration a number of resources including a group of people with SMI who have already agreed to be invited to take part in research. In preparing this bid we have assembled partners from the NHS, social care services, environment organisations, local government, business and the voluntary sector. We have formed a collaboration with an important national charity who represent the interests of people with mental ill health (the Mental Health Foundation). From the beginning we will think about how the results of our research can have impact in society. We see the CTG-Network+ as a spring board for a much larger and long-lasting programme of work to address health inequality for people with SMI. Whist the work of the Network+ will start in the University of York, we will ensure that we form strategic alliances with people working in other universities in the UK (& internationally).