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Primary Care and Mental Health

Enhancing mental health and wellbeing support, and primary healthcare provision.

The Quadrangle square in the university of Liverpool

The Department of Primary Care and Mental Health’s (PCMH) goal is to enhance mental health and wellbeing support, and primary healthcare provision. PCMH engages in scholarly activity to develop theories, models and interventions for primary healthcare and to promote mental health and wellbeing. Our research and teaching activities aim to enhance excellence in primary, community, mental health and social care at a local and global level. 

PCMH seeks to enable and develop all our staff and students by providing research and learning opportunities, training, mentorship, and peer support.  Colleagues working in health and social care, experts by experience and members of the public are welcomed into our research and education activities, and research group meetings.

Our underlying principles include inclusion and diversity, multi-disciplinarity and co-production. We achieve these through various means including working closely with the department’s committees (e.g. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) committee, Postgraduate Research committee, Research committee, Education committee) promoting research equity. We adhere to robust governance and standards of professional and research ethics.

Our research programmes include, for example:

  • Global mental health
  • Chronic conditions and polymorbidity
  • Children and families
  • Older adults
  • Primary care and community mental health
  • Big data – CIPHA and System-P
  • Suicide and self-harm
  • Dementia and ageing
  • Clinical psychology (including forensics, pain, dementia, and physical health)
  • Visual impairment in acquired brain injury.

Our challenges

Image of Liverpool waterfront buildings, the three graces

Applied Research Collaboration 2 North West Coast (ARC2NWC)

ARC2NWC has been formed as a collaborative partnership (82 in total) between north-west universities, NHS trusts and primary care providers, local authorities, 3rd and charity sector organisations, Integrated Care Boards, Health Innovation Network, members of the public and the voluntary sector plus other research and clinical collaborations, to deliver improved services for patients and communities across the North-West and implement ways to improve care and reduce inequalities.

Case studies

Group of Congolese women and young girl stand next to their home

Community-based Sociotherapy Adapted for Refugees (COSTAR)

The project aims to culturally and linguistically adapt CBS for use with Congolese refugees, and evaluate its efficacy and cost-effectiveness for addressing the elevated levels of mental health difficulties experienced by populations that have been subject to conflict and displacement.

Improving access to psychological therapies for perinatal depression

Perinatal depression affects one in four women in low and middle income countries with over 90% not receiving any treatment for this condition. This has devastating consequences for the mothers and their infants.

close up image of an eye

Vision, Orthoptic and Brain Injury Research Unit (VISION)

The VISION group evaluates visual impairment in acquired brain injury and neurological conditions, explores and develops outcome measures in orthoptics, and seeks to explore the complexity of co-existent visual and functional impairments

Key staff members

Accreditations and partnerships

Our local and global partnerships provide vital support to our research activity.

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Our research and impact

The department engages in a wide range of research that has a significant impact in primary, community, mental health and social care at a local and global level.

animated image of mentor guiding a mentee across a line with a series of shapes indicating a staircase or ascending platform

Inclusive Mentoring for Clinical Psychologists

To support those entering the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) with the University of Liverpool, we have established a mentorship programme for aspiring psychologists from the global majority / an ethnically minoritised background. The scheme connects applicants with experienced professionals who can offer personalised career support and professional development, supporting growth and helping to make academia a more inclusive space.