Thousands of people living with severe mental illness are being asked to take part in a major new study which could mark a ‘new era’ of personalised treatment.
The project, known as GlobalMinds, will analyse volunteers’ DNA and questionnaire responses to better understand the risk and severity of conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis and major depression.
From this week, almost 500,000 eligible adults in England and Wales are being contacted through the NHS DigiTrials service.
Those who choose to take part will be sent an at-home sampling kit. Additional support will be available for people who are more severely ill or who face barriers using technology.
The three-year initiative will combine genetic data from blood or salvia samples with online questionnaire responses and NHS medical records. Researchers say linking genetic, biological and background information with mental health data could help improve diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Adrian James, NHS England’s national medical director for mental health and neurodiversity, said: ‘This major new study could transform our understanding of severe mental illness and lead to the dawn of a new era of personalised treatments’.
‘People living with a severe mental illness are affected by their condition ever day – and it can often lead to preventable physical conditions and shorter lifespans,’ he continued.
The study is being led by Akrivia Health in partnership with Cardiff University. Ten NHS mental health trusts are backing the project and around 2,000 participants have already enrolled.
Professor James Walter, chief investigator at Cardiff University, explained: ‘GlobalMinds provides an unprecedented opportunity to uncover and identify the many personal and biological factors behind mental health conditions, so researchers can help clinicians and patients by enabling earlier and more precise diagnosis, and making available optimum treatments for all patients.
‘Precision medicine has already revolutionised the treatment of cancer and other rare diseases and we want GlobalMinds to bring the same breakthroughs to mental health.’
News of the initiative comes as separate research suggests dissatisfaction with NHS mental health services is rising. In 2024-25, the Care Quality Commission reported 44% of people surveyed said waiting times were too long, while 27% said they did not receive the help they needed during a crisis.
The study is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, with funding from the Wellcome Trust and Johnson & Johnson. Anyone aged 18 and over with a diagnosed severe mental health condition in participating areas can sign up here.
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