First six projects announced for the Living Well with Psychosis programme

Six projects set up to improve the lives of people living with psychosis have received a funding boost of £847,000.

The funding is part of the first phase of the £10m Living Well with Psychosis programme. The programme has been set up to improve treatment and support the recovery of people affected by psychotic disorders, including those living with diagnoses like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

Psychosis is the medical term used to describe someone hearing, seeing or believing things that other people do not. For many people a long-term psychotic illness can severely reduce quality of life, significantly increase risks of unemployment, long-term physical disease, and early death.

Together, these projects will improve access to therapeutic support, help people affected by psychosis cope with the transition from hospital back into the community and crucially, support the carers and family members of people living with psychosis. The six projects are all led by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust or by King’s College London.

Link between deprivation and psychosis

There is a proven connection between social deprivation and discrimination and an increased likelihood of developing a psychotic illness. In the areas of southeast London where Maudsley Charity operates, rates of psychosis are up to two times higher than the UK national average. Addressing these inequalities is an important part of the grant programme. Over half of the projects being funded in this phase are particularly targeted towards people from racially minoritised communities.

The programme will fund research, NHS improvement projects and also support community sector organisations working with people who experience psychosis.

Rebecca Gray, chief executive of Maudsley Charity said:

“We launched the Living Well with Psychosis programme so that people affected by psychosis can have the same opportunities to flourish as anyone else.

These projects are great examples of initiatives that will help us to have a major impact on the lives of those affected by psychosis in southeast London, while also providing research and best practice that can be shared and inform what happens at a national level.”

Dr Juliana Onwumere, Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Senior Lecturer, King’s College London and recipient of funding for two projects to help support carers of people living with psychosis said:

“Our Maudsley Charity grant is hugely valued since it provides a much needed and long overdue opportunity to focus on a community affected by psychosis, but traditionally neglected in research programmes and mental health service innovations.”

Collaborative bidding

We have been trialing a new and more collaborative way of funding during this first stage, working closely with prospective applicants on developing their bids. The programme has attracted a high number of applications. As a result the charity is considering extending the scale and duration of the programme and is undertaking a review during which time it will be closed to new applications. The programme will reopen in late 2024.

Read about the first six projects to receive funding.