Applications to become an MQ fellow are open for researchers in the United States. This is an opportunity to receive not only financial support but also practical support from the MQ team. But what is it like to apply and be selected for an MQ fellowship? One of the first ever MQ Fellows selected was Dr Joshua Roffman from Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital . He tells us the inside story of the process and what being an MQ fellow is like.   I was thrilled and honoured to be selected as one of the first MQ Fellows in 2014.  At that point in my career, I was experie ..read more

Mental illness can affect people differently. It can be challenging, differently, for those with the condition and those who love them. This is one son's story. Lukas Kesslig has experience of living with someone who showed symptoms of bipolar disorder. Lukas grew up with a father who had mental health challenges. Here he kindly shares with MQ part of his experience growing up with his father.   My father, especially when tilted toward mania, always needed to be doing something – something important.  The mission was accomplishment and it crept into all aspects of life.  All wo ..read more

Applications to become an MQ fellow are open for researchers in the United States. The opportunity will mean researchers will receive not only financial support but also practical support from the MQ team. Which of our MQ researchers have previously been based in the USA and what areas of research have they been supported in developing?   2013 In MQ’s first year as a charity organisation, 2013, two of our first ever fellows were based in the United States. Dr Susanne Ahmari identified brain activity related to Obsessive behaviours, the first step towards developing new treatments for OCD ..read more

Thousands of people could potentially benefit from a new treatment to an anxiety disorder which affects 18% of autistic people, were it rolled out across the UK. The economic benefits of ADIE, a treatment for autistic people who have Generalised Anxiety Disorder, could be valued as high as £125-£170 million nationally. New research by Pro Bono Economics (PBE) for the charity MQ Mental Health Research suggested that there are 105,000 autistic people in the UK with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, a condition which can have a serious impact on sufferers’ lives. The condition leads people to worry ..read more

In a recent interview with The Telegraph Newspaper, the Secretary for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride, shared his opinion that “mental health culture has gone too far”. But what does he mean by ‘mental health culture’? And is what he is saying true?  The MP for Central Devon said that “There is a real risk now that we are labelling the normal ups and downs of human life as medical conditions which then actually serve to hold people back and, ultimately, drive up the benefit bill. [ ] If they go to the doctor and say ‘I’m feeling rather down and bluesy’, the doctor will give them on averag ..read more

MQ has contributed to an All-party parliamentary Group report that is calling on the UK government to ‘unlock the trauma trap’ of Adverse Childhood experiences (ACEs) and free the nation’s children with a population-wide public health strategy.   What are Adverse Childhood Experiences? Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are highly stressful and potentially traumatic events or situations that occur in childhood. There is a strong correlation between ACEs and a range of significant negative outcomes that can impact people for their entire lives. Examples may include, but are not limi ..read more

This World Sleep Day (15 March 2024), we consider the powerful effects sleep and sleep quality can have on mental health. World Sleep Day celebrates awareness of sleep health. Sleep and mental health are inextricably linked. Anyone who doesn’t sleep well for a few nights can attest to the effect it can have on mood, behaviour, thoughts and your ability to think clearly or look after yourself or others. As one of the baseline needs of humans, sleep and sleep quality can have a huge impact on mental wellbeing. Issues with sleep can also be a symptom of mental illness. People with depression may ..read more

 John and Susan Wilkes, long term supporters of MQ Mental Health Research, remember their son Nick Wilkes who died by suicide ten years ago in 2014. John and Susan’s support helps fund vital research to prevent others losing their lives to suicide in the future. Here they recall Nick with fondness and explain why supporting MQ is so important to them.    Exactly ten years ago, in January 2014, we lost our beloved son Nick, who had been ill for much of the preceding year. Aged just 28, Nick probably suffered from bipolar depression, but time ran out before he could receive a cl ..read more

Internationally, 33.3% of researchers are women, which is why at MQ we are incredibly proud to say we fund male and female researchers equally. In the run up to International Women’s Day (8th of March) we celebrate those women who make up 50% of our researchers, and their pioneering work.   Women Working on Preventions and Interventions   Dr Susanne Ahmari, (USA) identified brain activity related to Obsessive behaviours, the first step towards developing new treatments for OCD in 2013. In 2014, Dr Andrea Reinecke (UK) developed a life changing intervention for panic disorder that co ..read more

This week it's International Women's Day (8th of March) and this month is Women's History Month. Women are making history in research, some of them working with MQ. One such woman is Marisa Marraccini, one of the researchers selected to be a US Fellow for MQ in 2022. Applications to become an MQ fellow in the USA are opening soon. The opportunity will mean researchers in the USA who are selected will receive not only financial support but also practical support from the MQ team. But what is it like to apply and be selected for an MQ fellowship? The talented Marisa Marraccini kindly shared wit ..read more