Olivia Remes, Peter Templeton (lead of IfM Engage Healthcare and founder of a charity focusing on innovations for young people's mental health: YPMH) and the Aviva Foundation are examining depression and bringing stakeholders from different sectors together (academia, industry, healthcare, charitable sector) to identify new ways of preventing and treating depression.

The current treatment for depression isn't optimal: relapse is a significant issue and a number of people do not experience improvement in symptoms.  Through workshops, analysis, and stakeholder consultations, they are identifying and bringing forward recent, effective innovations focused on depression.  The secondary aim is to facilitate the joining up of sectors to advance mental health care, and through collaborations, they have formed a Community of Interest of stakeholders from the public and private sectors.  Workshops with the Community of Interest have taken place in December 2020, and additional consultations with stakeholders will be taking place in the next months.

Wellbeing and prevention are key aspects of this project - how to increase resilience in those with depression, as well as in young people so that they are protected from poor mental health.

Two papers based on findings from this project are currently underway.