The quest to make a real difference in serious mental illness
Serious mental illness is the leading healthcare, societal, and social justice issue of our times. Despite the significant burden and unmet need broadly associated with mental illness – an issue sadly exacerbated by the pandemic – the field has not yet benefited enough from the promise of science and innovation. In contrast to many other illnesses, mental illness has an irrefutably deep impact on both society and the economy, and it is a major barrier to achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Despite this tremendous unmet need, most large pharmaceutical companies have exited this space because researching and developing treatments for mental health conditions is considered very complex and thus high risk; complicating factors include the heterogeneity of patient populations, the generalizability of results, the lack of standardized measures of assessment and diagnosis, and the lack of fully validated therapeutic targets.
However, this state of affairs is changing. The emergence of new treatment paradigms, the rapid growth of medical and digital technologies, and major advances in genetics, neuroscience, imaging, and data science have all created a tangible opportunity to herald a new era of precision and predictive medicine approach to neuroscience and make a real difference for those affected by mental illness. These parallel developments also promise novel integrated solutions that combine pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches that are likely necessary to address the complex nature of mental disorders, including the high prevalence of physical co-morbidities.
This presentation will highlight some of these challenges, but also some of the notable scientific advances that promise to lead to major breakthroughs for patients, Crucially, the OLS/NHS/NIHR Mental Health Mission is bringing together key stakeholders—government agencies, universities, charities, individuals with lived experience, and industry (pharmaceutical, device, digital and data science)—in a major new collaboration to address the key barriers to improving outcomes in serious mental illness. The UK is well-placed to lead innovation globally in the field of mental health. It has a strong ecosystem already in place for mental health research, supported by the NHS as a key delivery partner for clinical trials with the ability to scale up and deliver novel treatments; a world-leading clinical academic psychiatry network; and an emerging national grid of Integrated Care Systems with some of the best-linked health care, social care, and administrative data in the world.

To join virtually, please use the weblink below:

zoom.us/j/92679262959?pwd=ZkRtN1BGWG1reUwyY053ZUV0N3hUQT09
Meeting ID: 926 7926 2959
Passcode: 560251
Date: 9 May 2023, 9:30 (Tuesday, 3rd week, Trinity 2023)
Venue: Seminar Room
Speaker: Husseini Manji (University of Oxford)
Organising department: Department of Psychiatry
Organiser: Rania Elgarf (Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: rania.elgarf@psych.ox.ac.uk
Host: John Geddes (University of Oxford)
Part of: Psychiatry Seminar Series
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Rania Elgarf