Loneliness and Mental Health

Research Network in Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health

The Centre for Performance Science is part of one of eight Mental Health Networks announced by UKRI to bring researchers, charities, and other organisations together to address important mental health research questions.

The Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Network brings together researchers, health practitioners, charities, people with lived experience of mental ill health, and other organisations to understand how mental health and social connections relate to each other. Researchers include clinical researchers, psychologists, social scientists, neuroscientists, and specialists in the arts and in digital innovations. Over the course of three and a half years the network will scope current evidence and on-going work, identify research priorities, and provide seed-funding for small projects. The aim is to better understand the direction and nature of the links between loneliness and social isolation and mental health problems, and to plant the seeds for work to reduce the burden of mental ill health by reducing loneliness and social isolation.

The network is led by Professor Sonia Johnson and Dr Alexandra Pitman, both from the UCL Division of Psychiatry, as part of a team of 12 co-investigators at the University of Birmingham, LSE, the Royal College of Music, UCL, and the University of Northumbria. The network is supported by third sector and policy partners, including Wellbeing Enterprises CIC, the Campaign to End Loneliness, the Bromley By Bow Centre, Social Spider CIC, the Mental Elf, and Public Health England. The CPS will be contributing particular expertise on the arts and their potential in fostering and supporting social connections

CPS team

Rosie Perkins, RCM (PI)
Neta Spiro, RCM
Ula Tymoszuk, RCM
Aaron Williamon, RCM

For the full project team, visit the Network website.

Supported by:

UK Research and Innovation (2018-22)

Learn more

Visit the Network website.

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