AstraZeneca supports mental health research of two UK charities
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
AstraZenecais sponsoring a project set up by the two UK mental health charities – Rethink and MDF The BiPolar Organisation – to help increase the understanding of factors affecting recovery from mental health disorders and ultimately improve treatment. The company will provide £30,000 to the charities. The project will conduct interviews with patients and will involve interviewers who have themselves previously experienced mental health difficulties. They will work with research subjects in finding out what "recovery"' means for patients in a bid to create better understanding between doctors and patients. A report will be provided to psychiatrists and new service users later in the year. Commenting on the project, AstraZeneca said that the insights into the recovery process provided by the research would enable clinical practice to be adapted accordingly. Rethink estimates that 1% of people live with bipolar disorder in the UK, and around 1% of the population will experience schizophrenia at some time in their lives. Recovery from these conditions can be slow.