What did we do?

In January 2015 we ran a four day workshop in Qatar for UK and Qatari researchers, focussing on the physical health of people with severe and enduring mental illness (SMI) and long-term conditions.

 

Why was it important?

Mental health and cardiovascular disease are major health problems and are priority areas for research in both the UK and Qatar. For example, a 2013 study reported that two out of three heart attacks in Qatar occur in patients under the age of 55. This is a dramatically different statistical pattern to other developed countries such as the USA and the UK.

 

How did we do it?

We developed programmes of research with 30 early career researchers from Manchester and Qatar based around four themes:

 

• Evidence-based interventions with a focus on behaviour change
   
• Implementation science: translating evidence into practice settings
   
• Improving patient care through innovation
   
• Evidence-based delivery methods for educating and training the workforce.

 

Who did we work with?

The workshop was resourced through a British Council grant and run in conjunction with Hamad Medical Corporation.

 

Results

We’re already starting to see results from this piece of work, with an international research application on the use of peer support to improve the mental health of migrant workers to the Health Services Research Centre Investigator Initiated Grant Scheme (HSRIIG) being awarded funding in 2015.

 

More information

For further information please contact Michael Spence (Programme Manager).