Accessibility statement

Mental health evidence synthesis

This is a cross-cutting and inter-departmental theme delivered jointly by researchers in the Mental Health and Addiction Research Group and the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD).

Established in 2016, the focus of this theme is on undertaking high quality evidence synthesis in mental health, with a particular emphasis on systematic reviews that assess the effectiveness of psychological therapies and system level interventions for common mental health problems and serious mental illness in the context of long term conditions. Building on links with YESI, this theme has catalysed evidence synthesis that focuses on the effectiveness of nature-based interventions for health and wellbeing, and the impact of climate change and mental health. 

This theme also supports qualitative meta-synthesis of service user and provider perspectives of the delivery of mental health interventions, and the application of innovative review methods, including network meta-analysis, individual participant data meta-analysis, rapid and mixed methods evidence reviews.

The aim of this work is to develop evidence syntheses that will not only inform healthcare policy, service delivery and clinical practice, but also contribute to priority-setting and the mental health research agenda across an interdisciplinary portfolio. more broadly, both in the UK and beyond. The partnership with CRD enables collaborations with experienced methodologists, as well as access to a rich network of knowledge and expertise in mental health policy and practice, both nationally and internationally.

Research Outputs

Serious mental illness and long-term conditions

  • Meader, N., Melton, H. A., Evans, C., Wright, K., Shiers, D., Ratschen, E., Dias, S., Dare, C., Johnston, G., Kaur, H., Syrett, M., Armitage, C., Churchill, R., Gilbody, S., & Coventry, P. (2022). Multiple versus single risk behaviour interventions for people with severe mental illness: a network meta-analysis and qualitative synthesis. Health and Social Care Delivery Research, 10(6). https://doi.org/10.3310/NFIZ5916
  • Coventry, P., Young, B., Balogun, A. O., Taylor, J., Brown, J. V. E., Kitchen, C. E. W., Kellar, I., Peckham, E. J., Bellass, S., Wright, J., Alderson, S., Lister, J. E., Holt, R. I. G., Doherty, P. J., Carswell, C., Hewitt, C. E., Jacobs, R., Osborn, D., Boehnke, J. R., & Siddiqi, N. (2021). Determinants of physical health self-management behaviours in adults with serious mental illness: a systematic review. Frontiers in psychiatry, 12, [723962]. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.723962
  • Carswell, C., Brown, J. V. E., Balogun, A. O., Taylor, J., Coventry, P., Kitchen, C. E. W., Kellar, I., Peckham, E. J., Bellass, S., Alderson, S., Lister, J. E., Holt, R., Hewitt, C. E., Jacobs, R., Shiers, D., Boehnke, J. R., Ajjan, R. A., & Siddiqi, N. (2021). Exploring determinants of self-management in adults with severe mental illness: a qualitative evidence synthesis. BJPsych Open, 7(S1), S13. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2021.93

Psychological therapy for common mental health problems

  • Sweetman, J., Knapp, P., Varley, D., Woodhouse, R., McMillan, D., & Coventry, P. (2021). Barriers to attending initial psychological therapy service appointments for common mental health problems: A mixed-methods systematic review . Journal of affective disorders, 284, 44-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.01.089
  • Coventry, P., Meader, N., Melton, H. A., Temple, M., Dale, H., Wright, K., Cloitre, M., Karatzias, T., Bisson, J., Roberts, N. P., Brown, J. V. E., Barbui, C., Churchill, R., Lovell, K., McMillan, D., & Gilbody, S. (2020). Psychological and pharmacological interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid mental health problems following complex traumatic events: Systematic review and component network meta-analysis. PLoS Medicine, 17(8), [e1003262]. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003262
  • Karatzias, T., Murphy, P., Cloitre, M., Bisson, J., Roberts, N., Shevlin, M., Hyland, P., Maercker, A., Ben-Ezra, M., Coventry, P., Mason-Roberts, S., Bradley, A., & Hutton, P. (2019). Psychological interventions for ICD-11 Complex PTSD symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis . Psychological Medicine, 49(11), 1761-1775. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291719000436

System level interventions for common mental health problems

  • Grigoroglou, C., Van Der Feltz-Cornelis, C. M., Hodkinson, A., Coventry, P., Zghebi, S. S., Kontopantelis, E., Bower, P., Lovell, K., Gilbody, S., Waheed, W., Dickens, C., Archer, J., Blakemore, A., Adler, D. A., Aragones, E., Björkelund, C., Bruce, M., Buszewicz, M., Carney, R. M., ... Panagioti, M. (2021). Effectiveness of collaborative care in reducing suicidal ideation: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis. General hospital psychiatry, 71, 27-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.04.004
  • Panagioti, M., Bower, P., Kontopantelis, E., Lovell, K., Gilbody, S. M., Waheed, W., Dickens, C., Archer, J., Simon, G., Ell, K., Huffman, J., Richards, D., Van Der Feltz-Cornelis, C. M., Adler, D., Bruce, M., Buszewicz, M., Cole, M., Davidson, K., de Jonge, P., ... Coventry, P. (2016). Association Between Chronic Physical Conditions and the Effectiveness of Collaborative Care for Depression: An Individual Participant Data Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 73(9), 978-989. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.1794
  • Hudson, J. L., Bower, P., Kontopantelis, E., Bee, P. E., Archer, J., Clarke, R., Moriarty, A. S., Richards, D. A., Gilbody, S., Lovell, K., Dickens, C., Gask, L., Waheed, W., & Coventry, P. (2019). Impact of telephone delivered case-management on the effectiveness of collaborative care for depression and anti-depressant use: a systematic review and meta-regression. PLoS ONE, 14(6). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217948

Natural environment, climate change, and mental health

  • Coventry, P., Brown, J. V. E., Pervin, J., Brabyn, S., Pateman, R. M., Breedvelt, J. J., Gilbody, S., Stancliffe, R., McEachan, R., & White, P. C. L. (2021). Nature-based outdoor activities for mental and physical health: systematic review and meta-analysis  . SSM - Population Health, 16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100934
  • Geneshka, M., Coventry, P., Cruz, J., & Gilbody, S. (2021). Relationship Between Green and Blue Spaces with Mental and Physical Health: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Observational Studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 18(17), [9010]. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179010
  • Cruz, J., White, P. C. L., Bell, A., & Coventry, P. (2020). Effect of extreme weather events on mental health: a narrative synthesis and meta-analysis for the UK. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health . https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228581