MQ Mental Health Research

MQ Mental Health Research Right now, up to one in four people around the world is living with a mental health condition. For many the experience can be painful, exhausting and isolating.

MQ invests in world-class scientific research into mental health conditions so that we can better understand, effectively treat and ultimately prevent mental illness. That’s a quarter of all people living with an illness that affects their wellbeing, their relationships with family and friends, and their ability to work. Despite extraordinary advances in treating physical health conditions, progr

ess in understanding mental illness, and research into its causes, treatments and prevention, is nowhere near equal. In fact it falls woefully short, leaving millions of people worldwide without the help and support they need. We’re here to change that. With offices in London and New York, we fund much-needed scientific research to transform the lives of everyone affected by mental illness. And with our community of supporters and an international network of talented researchers we can make this a reality.

Is masculinity bad for men's mental health? A new study suggests the answer is more complicated than that.Researchers su...
19/08/2026

Is masculinity bad for men's mental health? A new study suggests the answer is more complicated than that.

Researchers surveyed 740 men across the US and UK on how strongly they held to traditional masculine norms, then looked at how this connected to their emotional wellbeing, anxiety and depression.

The findings challenge the idea that masculinity itself is the issue. A specific set of expectations stood out as linked to worse outcomes, while others made no difference, and one was even linked to something positive.

Find out which norms actually mattered:

https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/some-masculine-norms-linked-to-anxiety-and-depression-in-men/

We know exercise can help with mental health. What's been harder to pin down is exactly why it works across so many diff...
18/08/2026

We know exercise can help with mental health. What's been harder to pin down is exactly why it works across so many different conditions.

A new study published in Psychological Medicine analysed data from 400 physically inactive people living with depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD or insomnia, who took part in a supervised exercise programme.

The findings point to a mechanism that could apply across conditions, and it might change how exercise gets used as part of mental health treatment.

Find out what they discovered:

https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/how-exercise-may-improve-mental-health-by-reducing-stress-and-negative-thinking/

MQ has joined a major new European research project aiming to change how patient experiences are captured and understood...
17/08/2026

MQ has joined a major new European research project aiming to change how patient experiences are captured and understood in healthcare, using generative AI.

The project, called ResPECT, brings together 22 partners across Europe and will run clinical evaluations in eight countries over the next four years.

Dr Lesley Booth, MQ's PPIEP Programme Lead, is helping to make sure people with lived experience of mental illness shape how this technology is built from the start.

Find out what they're developing:

https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/respect-launch-ai-to-improve-patient-care/

Could dancing be good for your mental health? A new trial from the University of Oxford set out to answer that question....
13/08/2026

Could dancing be good for your mental health? A new trial from the University of Oxford set out to answer that question.

Young adults with mild to moderately severe depression were split into an eight-week salsa class or a waitlist group, with researchers tracking their mental health along the way.

The results were positive enough that the team now believes social dance deserves a proper look as part of the mix of support available to young people, especially those who don't always feel drawn to more traditional options.

Find out what else they discovered:

https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/salsa-dancing-linked-to-reduced-depressive-symptoms-in-young-adults/

England's mental health services are getting their biggest shake-up in a generation, with 159 new facilities opening and...
11/08/2026

England's mental health services are getting their biggest shake-up in a generation, with 159 new facilities opening and £343 million behind them. But the real question is whether it will actually change things for the people waiting longest.

The plan brings two things together: community centres people can access without a referral, and dedicated emergency departments for mental health crises, built as an alternative to A&E.

The first sites open this autumn, with more following through 2027. Mental health charities have welcomed the news, while pushing for services that are genuinely joined up rather than just new buildings.

Full story:

https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/159-new-nhs-mental-health-facilities-to-open-across-england/

After several years shaping MQ's scientific direction, Professor Andrew McIntosh is stepping down from the Science Counc...
04/08/2026

After several years shaping MQ's scientific direction, Professor Andrew McIntosh is stepping down from the Science Council.

He looks back on a decade of change in mental health research, and shares advice for the next generation of researchers.

Read more:
https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/10-years-on-mq-science-council/

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