Mental health and addiction research hub to open

Alison Sharpe, who will be involved in the research process, said she suffered from a lack of understanding from healthcare professionals

A university has been awarded £11m to carry out research into addiction and mental health.

The centre, at the University of Hull, is due to open on November 1 and will carry out clinical studies to improve access to services in the community.

The project is being led by Prof Thomas Phillips, who said substance abuse has accounted for less than 3% of mental health research in the last decade.

"We urgently need to identify how to improve the provision of treatments for those experiencing co-existing substance and mental health conditions," he added.

Mental health problems are the single largest cause of disability in the UK, according to the university, with one in four adults and one in ten children experiencing mental illness.

It was estimated 340,000 people need help for opiate use and more than 600,000 for alcohol treatment.

Professor Phillips will be leading the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Research at the University of Hull

Alison Sharpe, who is a member of the research team and a recovering alcoholic with eight years sobriety, said: "I suffered from a lack of understanding by healthcare professionals.

“The fact that people with lived experience of substance use and mental health issues will be included in all aspects of the research will result in a much-improved service that is underpinned by empathy and understanding.”

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Research, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, will cover the Humber and North Yorkshire regions.

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