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You could improve mental health research in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Apply to join our public group!

Do you have experience of mental health challenges or experience of caring for someone with mental health challenges?

Are you interested in mental health research?

When people with lived experience and researchers work together, research is more likely to be useful and accessible. Your input helps researchers to understand what priorities are most important to you.

Our Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) aims to improve mental health research by making it more patient-focused. We will do this by sharing our thoughts on research plans and goals and giving opinions on information written for the public, ensuring everyone can understand and benefit from it.

Our group members will include people aged 18+ in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have experienced mental health challenges and people who have experience caring for someone with mental health challenges.

The main qualities we look for are enthusiasm, relevant personal experiences and commitment. No specific skills are required.

For more information about our public group, please see our Terms of Reference and our FAQs below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The NIHR Cambridge BRC is a group of researchers who are funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). We are hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Cambridge and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust (CPFT).

Our aim is to do research that helps turn scientific discoveries into new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases.

One of our research priorities is mental health. To improve how mental health conditions are prevented, identified and treated, we want to better understand:

  • how the brain develops
  • the relationship between mental and physical health
  • and how digital technologies can help.

You can learn more about the research taking place in the Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre Mental Health Theme here: https://cambridgebrc.nihr.ac.uk/our-research/themes/mental-health/

Anyone who is over 18 years old, living in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough, with an interest in mental health research and experience of mental health conditions – either personally or as a carer or parent.

We aim to include the broadest possible variety of backgrounds and perspectives in our group and particularly welcome anyone who has not been involved with research before.

We welcome individuals with disabilities and/or support needs and are committed to ensuring you are able to participate to the best of your ability. We will offer additional support if you require it.

  • Attending online meetings – held on Zoom, these are typically scheduled every 4-8 weeks, depending on research team needs, and usually last 1-2 hours. These will be scheduled around the Group’s availability.
  • Sending feedback – you may be asked to comment on materials outside of meetings; for example: reviewing text, video or other digital content and provide written or verbal feedback.
  • Pay – you will be paid £25 per hour for your active involvement. See our payment policy, included at the end of our terms of reference, for details.
  • Optional additional opportunities – you might occasionally have the chance to work on special extra projects. These are varied in nature and might include attending additional online or in-person meetings to talk about personal experiences or give perspectives on mental health research. Details about additional opportunities will be provided on a case-by-case basis

We are flexible in how members participate and will support you in finding the most comfortable and accessible way of contributing.

Complete our application form by clicking on the button below!

The application form will allow us to get to know more about you and if we want to discuss your application, we will contact you to arrange a brief chat on Zoom to explore things a bit more.

If you would like to receive the application in a different format or provide verbal answers (e.g. over the phone or in an online meeting), please get in touch with the patient and public involvement coordinator, Naomi, by email: nc482@cam.ac.uk.

Contact Naomi at nc482@cam.ac.uk.

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