Mental health and Inequalities
What We Do
Addressing mental health and inequalities in organisation and community services with experts by experience, our research brings together diverse range of disciplines, perspectives and approaches to advance the understanding of mental health and the broader determinants of health.
About Our Research
We co-create and collaborate closely with experts by experience to create meaningful contributions to our respective fields. Our work focuses on individuals with complex histories in inpatient and community settings alongside their carers and loved ones, ensuring their voices are central to our research.
Grounded in human rights and social justice, we are committed to tackling inequalities that underpin mental health outcomes, our work explores the social, economic, and cultural determinants of health, recognising how factors such as poverty, discrimination and access to care shape mental health and wellbeing and physical health. We work within the community to make sense of these complex factors and the vast inequalities across health and social care provisions.
Meet the Team
Joy Duxbury
Professor of Mental Health and research theme Lead
Michelle Baybutt
Professor of Mental Health & Social Justice
Elaine Bidmead
NIHR NENC ARC Senior Research Fellow
Jo Hickman Dunne
Senior Research Fellow Mental Health
Katie Goodall
Research Assistant in Mental Health & Inequalities
Sue Wilbraham
Associate Professor in Environment, Health and Wellbeing
Tom Grimwood
Professor of Social Philosophy Head of Graduate School Lead, HASKE
Paul Miller
Associate Professor in Social Psychology
Elizabeth Bates
Associate Prof - Family Violence & Abuse
Andy Carmichael
Senior Research Fellow - Prisons Lead
Marieke Torensma
Research Fellow
Beth Harris-Midwinter
Research Support Administrator
Our Research
Our research spans a diverse range of topics relating to mental health and inequalities, co-created with communities of lived-experience.
Research Skills Academy
We support the development of research skills and research leadership within the Faculty of Health through our Researcher Skills Academy.
The MAD Podcast
The MAD podcast (Making a Difference to Mental Health in Cumbria) brings together researchers, practitioners, people with lived experience and community leaders to explore the ideas, challenges and innovations shaping mental health today.
Researcher Networks
Our researcher networks bring together staff and postgraduate researchers at different stages of their career to support and develop research practice within the Faculty of Health.
Funded Research
Hickman Dunne, J. et al. (2025) Working towards social media literacy: co-producing new PSHE resources for secondary schools. UKRI Impact Accelerator Account Pilot Grant, £29,381.78, 6 month project. https://www.so-me-study.org/socialmediapshe.
Duxbury J, Parry S Co Leads et al (2024) Recovery and Resilience Framework for Children in Care: A Realist Co-production Development Study NIHR £320, 000 The NEST Study NIHR funds new study to improve care for vulnerable children | NIHR. NIHR funds new study to improve care for vulnerable children | NIHR
Duxbury J, Haines A et al (2022) SWAP UPLIFT to existing NIHR Grant amounting to an additional £ 43, 000 for a further 6 months Realist review of complex interventions to prevent & reduce the use of restrictive practices on people with learning disabilities in hospital settings Cost for full project in total £401, 806 Research: The LEARN Project | Manchester Metropolitan University. Research: The LEARN Project | Manchester Metropolitan University
Haines A, Duxbury J (2022) Evaluation of the National HOPE(S) Programme to End Long Term Segregation (LTS) for People with Learning Disabilities and Autism Cost to funder NHS England Via Merseycare NHS Trust £159, 248 2 Year Project
Haines A & Duxbury J (2022) Project 514952: Models of care for people with learning disabilities and/or autism with forensic needs who require detention under MHA in secure settings: a mixed methods study. 2-year Project £196, 495.Funder Merseycare mental Health Trust
Duxbury et al 2021 NIHR PRP funded project aim at “Improving the experiences of Black African Caribbean men detained under the Mental Health Act: a co-produced intervention using the Silences Framework (ImprovE-ACT) £830, 000. Research: Mental health act reform | Manchester Metropolitan University. Research: Mental health act reform | Manchester Metropolitan University
Contact
Joy Duxbury (joy.duxbury@cumbria.ac.uk)
Katie Goodall (katie.goodall@cumbria.ac.uk).