Improving Mental and Physical Health Together (IMPACT) Launch Event

It was an eventful week for the research team of IMPACT. After receiving a grant worth in £2m pounds from the National Health Institute, the project was officially launched the 11th of July at the Ron Cooke Centre. A diverse and excited audience took part in the launch and the final workshop.

IMPACT aims to improve the physical health of people with severe mental illness and the mental health of people with physical conditions. The launch was opened by Chair of the event and Professor Simon Gilbody, who stressed that “There is no physical health without mental health”.

Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research Debbie Smith highlighted the contribution of IMPACT in producing high quality research in the field of health and well-being. This are two areas that have distinguished the University of York since they address real problems that affect real people.

Following this the dean of the Hull Medical School, Professor Una Macleod, stressed how this collaborative project with the University of York can make a real contribution for people with mental illness around the world and how Hull Medical School is a different kind of medical school. Research is an important part of medicine and has given IMPACT its distinctive value, and a new way of understanding mental health as well.

The event also hosted keynote speaker Dr Neerja Chowdhardy from the Department of Mental Health within the World Health Organisation, who share interesting insights on how nearly half on the world’s population lives in a country with no access to mental health services and its consequences.

Afterwards, second keynote speaker and Professor Pratima Murthy from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience shared her experience working in mental health services in Bangalore.

Finally, Dr Najma Siddiqi, who co leads the project with Simon, also celebrated the work achieved through their partners in Bangladesh, that have allowed IMPACT to expand towards South Asia.  The event concluded with a workshop on mental health for staff, researchers and students.

If you would like to know more about IMPACT, please get in touch with Dr Najma Siddiqi (najma.siddiqi@york.ac.uk).