The Research Room

York Trials Unit

Discover the groundbreaking clinical trials happening at the York Trials Unit at the University of York! Join us each week in The Research Room where we sit down with the researchers themselves to explore how their work is shaping the future of people’s health. From revolutionary new medical devices to transformative educational programmes and vital research into mental health support, we dive into the diverse projects that truly make a difference. Hosted by Lucy Atha & Janine Heeley Music by Matthew Bailey

  1. 1D AGO

    Pivoting in a Pandemic: Delivering Remote Support for Socially Isolated Older Adults

    Did you know that persistent loneliness is as damaging to your physical health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? For the final episode of our mental health mini-series, we’re joined by Dr Liz Littlewood and Professor Simon Gilbody from the University of York to explore the BASIL project. This massive research initiative stepped up during a global crisis to tackle a critical but overlooked issue: the mental health, depression, and rising isolation of older adults. Listen as we discuss the incredible journey of adapting brief psychological support into a fully remote, "telephone-first" intervention. We dive into how behavioural activation helps people reconnect with what brings value to their lives, stripping away "psychobabble" to keep things straightforward and co-produced alongside experts and users. They also share the historic scale of the BASIL+ trial, the largest ever randomised controlled trial of its kind, and how its positive results are shaping the future of NHS care by moving from treatment to prevention. Tune in to find out how a brief series of 30-minute phone calls managed to create a sustained reduction in depression 12 months down the line, and stick around for the end to hear a joke from the TV show Friends!   Find out more about BASIL: https://sites.google.com/nihr.ac.uk/basil/ Read the results paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666756823002386   Music by Matthew Bailey

    1h 1m

  2. MAY 20

    Co-Production in Custody: Creating a Mental Health Toolkit for Older Prisoners

    How can digging into the past protect the future of mental health for older people in custody? For the next episode in our mental health mini-series, we’re joined by Professor Amanda Perry and Professor John Schofield to explore the PAMHOP project. This pioneering feasibility study is tackling a critical but overlooked issue: the mental and physical wellbeing of older people in custody by introducing co-produced, interactive workshops directly in prison sites. Listen as we discuss the massive gap in current research including a systematic review that did not find a single randomized controlled trial for this demographic. We dive into how the team designed and delivered custom interactive sessions, from archaeology activities to craft sessions and book clubs, with the goal of improving overall wellbeing. They also share how these insights are being used to develop a dedicated toolkit, providing prisons with a concrete framework to support mental and physical health of older people in custody.  Tune in to find out what happened when a workshop unexpectedly turned into a group song, and see how collaborating with the Prison Radio Association is amplifying the voices and restoring the confidence of people in custody!   Find out more about PAMHOP: https://www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/research/mental-health/projects/physical-mental-health-older-prisoners/   Music by Matthew Bailey

    59 min

  3. MAY 13

    Support2Work: Tackling the £200 Billion Mental Health Crisis

    With nearly 2.9 million people in the UK now economically inactive due to illness, how can we balance the drive for national productivity with the personal need for mental health recovery?   For the next episode in our mental health mini-series, we’re joined by Professor Rowena Jacobs and Professor Lina Gega to discuss the Support2Work project. This comprehensive national evaluation is investigating the impact of placing employment advisors directly into NHS Talking Therapies to help individuals navigate work-related challenges alongside their psychological treatment.   Listen as we chat about the staggering £200 billion annual cost of economic inactivity and whether combining practical job support with therapy offers better value for taxpayers than therapy alone. We explore the unique "UK-specific" nature of this crisis and how the team is using a mixed methods analysis and an elephant analogy to translate complex health economics into life-changing policy.   Tune in to hear how the project’s name, suggested by a service user, won over our hosts, and how these practical pathways to impact are helping to bridge the gap between clinical care and the labour market!   Find out more about Support2work: https://www.york.ac.uk/che/mental-health/support2work/

    45 min

  4. MAY 6

    The SPiRiT-D Project: Transforming Mental Health Support in Pakistan

    In settings where mental health specialists are scarce, how can we ensure patients get the care they need?   For our first episode in our May mental health mini-series, we’re joined by Dr Mehreen Faisal and Karen Coales to discuss the SPiRiT-D project. This innovative hybrid trial is bridging the mental health treatment gap in Pakistan by testing a collaborative care model to deliver evidence-based talking therapy with non-mental health professionals.   Listen as we chat about how to reach underserved communities, and how the team has culturally adapted their support to ensure it resonates with local patients. Stick around for our random research questions to find out why a little 'Chaos and Patience' is all you need to change the world of mental health!   Find out more about SPiRiT-D: https://www.impactsouthasia.com/   Read the Protocol Paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13063-026-09453-5    Music by Matthew Bailey

    45 min

  5. APR 29

    On the Road at the ARC Mental Health Prevention Conference

    Is an ounce of prevention really worth a pound of cure when it comes to mental health?  That’s the big question we’re tackling this week as we go on the road! We’ve left the comfort of The Research Room studio and headed to The Milner Hotel in York for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC)’s An ounce of prevention: How can the NHS make a transition towards prevention in mental health? Event. With the NHS 10-Year Plan officially prioritising a shift toward preventative mental health care, we wanted to find out how researchers are working hard to make this happen. Armed with our brand-new portable mics, and with the fantastic help of Emma Standley and Heidi Benyair we joined a packed house of leading experts and researchers to bring you insights from a fantastic range of projects.   Find out more about the ARC Yorkshire & Humber: https://arc-yh.nihr.ac.uk/ Find our more about the Mental Health and Addiction Research Group (MHARG) at the University of York: https://www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/research/mental-health/    Featured Interviews: 01:00 Professor Simon Gilbody - What is the day all about? Prevention in Mental Health: Aligning Evidence and the 10 Year Plan 04:00 Kate Robinson Knowledge Mobilisation Lead in the ARC with Yorkshire and Humber. Find out more: https://arc-yh.nihr.ac.uk/training/an-introduction-to-knowledge-mobilisation-practical-training/  08:31 Professor John Wright (Director of Bradford Institute of Health Research) Chief Investigator of Born in Bradford Project. Find out more: https://borninbradford.nhs.uk/  11:36 Dr Ruth Wadman (University of Bradford)  - Promoting Positive Adolescent Mental Health (PPAMH!) for School Climate - Feasibility Trial. Find out more: https://borninbradford.nhs.uk/what-we-do/studies/promoting-positive-adolescent-mental-health/  15:56 Kim Bevan and Amy Bedingham  from Tend VR - Feasibility and efficacy of a Virtual Reality Mindfulness Based Intervention for depression and anxiety. Find out more: https://www.tendmentalhealth.com/  21:58 Dr John Pickavance (Bradford Institute for Health Research)   The  IRL Trial : A School-Based RCT Investigating the Effects of Social Media Restrictions on the Mental Health of Under-16s (12-15 year olds) Find out More: https://bradfordresearch.nhs.uk/the-irl-trial/  25:55 Professor Dave McDaid  (Associate Professor at the London School of Economics)  - The Economics of Prevention: Is an ounce of Prevention Worth a Pound of Cure? Making the economic case for investing in prevention.  Find out more: https://www.lse.ac.uk/people/david-mcdaid  28:22 Professor Scott Welch and Dr Joe Hulin (Research Fellow in Mental Health at the University of Sheffield) - Improving Suicide Prevention in Primary Care 35:01 Professor Claire Henderson (King’s College London) RECOLLECT - Recovery Colleges Characterising and Testing  . An adult education approach for learning to live with mental health conditions. Find out more: https://www.researchintorecovery.com/research/recollect/  45:17 Dr Philip Kerrigan (University of York)  From Manual to Mobile: A Digital Behavioural Activation Tool to Improve Mood in Adolescents During and Post-Therapy. The COMBAT Trial. Find out more: https://combatdepression.org/  52:24 Dr Trish Darcy - Nature-based Interventions to support mental health- Natural Environments and Health       54:27 Dr Colin Palmer (Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health) Breath Education: Building youth mental health prevention infrastructure in schools. Find out more: https://breathe-edu.co.uk/  58: 25 Eloise Ryde and Pip Shaw -  PRIMROSE : Evaluating interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in people living with severe mental illness 61:01 Aaron Wood and Stephanie Matteo (Seven Hills Research Clinic) Tertiary Prevention in Mood Disorders: establishing a specialist research clinic 65:09 Jo Orchard - Organiser of the event. 65:35 Professor Simon Gilbody  - A summary of the day. Music by Matthew Bailey

    1h 8m

  6. APR 15

    Samantha Holmes: Investigating the Mental Health Impacts of War

    Can we reduce the mental health impact of war? This week in The Research Room, we’re venturing outside of the Department of Health Sciences once again! We're joined by Samantha Holmes from the York Law School and the Centre for Applied Human Rights for a fascinating look into the world of international law and conflict-related mental harm. Sam shares her research as part of the Beyond Compliance Consortium (BCC), a global partnership investigating how to minimise civilian suffering during armed conflict. Using a qualitative approach, centered on the lived experiences of local communities across nine case-study countries, Sam's research explores how the reality of war impacts mental wellbeing and aims to uncover better ways to protect civilians and respond to the suffering caused by conflict. Plus discover how the team is using gamification to turn complex research findings into an interactive mobile game!   Find out more about the BCC: https://beyond-compliance-consortium.org/  Listen to the BCC Podcast: https://beyond-compliance-consortium.org/podcast/   Music by Matthew Bailey

    48 min

  7. APR 1

    FROM THE ARCHIVE: The ASSSIST 2 Trial: Supporting Autistic Children in School with Social Stories™

    Happy Easter from The Research Room! We're taking a break for Easter this week and as it is The National Autistic Society's World Autism Acceptance Month we're re-visiting one of our favourite episodes from last year, The ASSSIST 2 Trial!   Dr. Kerry Bell and Dr. Jane Blackwell join us to chat about this fantastic trial, completed in 2022, which explored whether Social Stories™ could be an effective way to support autistic children at school. We discuss the ins and outs of the trial, the challenges they faced, especially when COVID threw a curveball their way and, excitingly, they even have results to share!   Resources & Links from this Episode For more information about the ASSSIST 2 project, email jane.blackwell@york.ac.uk or kerry.bell@york.ac.uk   Find out more about the ASSSIST 2 on the project website: https://www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/research/trials/ytutrialsandstudies/archive/asssist-2/ Check out the full trial findings here: https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/camh.12740  Watch the ASSSIST 2 trial come to life in this animation: https://youtu.be/NX0z6INrzdo?feature=shared  Read the NIHR HTA report for the project here: https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hta/JBTM8017    Music by Matthew Bailey

    39 min

  8. MAR 18

    The CALM Trial: Helping Children Conquer Dental Anxiety

    Can we transform the dental chair from a place of fear into a space of calm for our youngest patients? Approximately 1 in 5 children between the ages of 8 and 16 experience dental anxiety severe enough to impact their ability to visit the dentist. This week in the Research Room, we're joined by Professor Zoe Marshman and Vicky Exley to talk about the CALM Trial, a brilliant study exploring whether guided self-help cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) support can help children overcome dental anxiety and get the care they need. Join us to explore why dental anxiety is so prevalent in children, its long-term impact on their oral health and well-being and how this research is paving the way for a more supportive dental experience. Plus, we find out why children are the ultimate research partners!   Find out more about CALM on the trial website  https://sheffield.ac.uk/dentalschool/research/calm   The protocol paper  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-07046-6   The process evaluation paper https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.13025     Music by Matthew Bailey

    44 min
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About

Discover the groundbreaking clinical trials happening at the York Trials Unit at the University of York! Join us each week in The Research Room where we sit down with the researchers themselves to explore how their work is shaping the future of people’s health. From revolutionary new medical devices to transformative educational programmes and vital research into mental health support, we dive into the diverse projects that truly make a difference. Hosted by Lucy Atha & Janine Heeley Music by Matthew Bailey

Information

  • Creator
    York Trials Unit
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Research Room

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