OpenSAFELY Talking Therapies: Using large datasets to advance psychological therapy research and policy (360G-Wellcome-317455_Z_24_Z)

OpenSAFELY is an established national research resource funded by the Wellcome Trust and NHS England, providing an effective support service for new researchers. We propose to extend this service by (1) adding the NHS Talking Therapies (NHSTT) dataset and (2) establishing an Electronic Health Record Support Unit (ehrSU) that provides comprehensive support for mental health researchers. Integration of the NHSTT dataset would turbo-charge psychological therapy research, unlocking the full potential of this invaluable dataset, while preserving patients’ privacy. We will hire skilled software developers and researchers with a background in psychotherapy research, while enhancing our public and patient involvement (PPI) efforts by embedding mental health representatives to guide our projects. This will allow us to establish a fully operational EHR Support Unit that supports studies that facilitate Wellcome’s strategy of creating a step change in interventions for anxiety & depression, and illuminate the links between mental and physical health. The service is designed for mental health researchers, particularly those with expertise in psychotherapy research but limited experience in data management. Once successfully established, this collaborative framework can be extended to other areas of mental health beyond anxiety & depression in adults, such as child mental health and psychosis services.