Studies Recruiting at ELFT

Summary:  The aim of the PPiP2 study is to assess large number of people suffering from psychosis and identify those with anti-neuronal membrane antibodies in their serum which might be causing their illness. Participants with anti-neuronal membrane antibodies will be invited to take part in the SINAPPS2 trial. The immune system normally controls our ability to fight infection. If the immune system goes wrong it may attack our own body, causing diseases called ‘autoimmune’ diseases. It has been discovered that some of these autoimmune diseases can affect the brain, and in the early stages of the disease they can manifest through symptoms of psychosis.

We can diagnose some of these autoimmune diseases using blood tests to detect specific antibodies.  We are specifically interested in antibodies that may be the cause of symptoms of psychosis and possibly in some cases of schizophrenia. 

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria:

• Age 16-60  
• Acute psychotic symptom(s) lasting more than 2 weeks but no longer than 2 years in current episode (first episode of psychosis or relapse after at least 6 month of remission)

Exclusion criteria:  

• Any neurological disorder
• Pregnancy 

ELFT Principal Investigator: Flavia Napoletano

To learn more, contact: Email Nargis Rahmanfard (Lead CSO for PPIP2)

Summary: The aim of EDGI is to investigate genetic and environmental risk factors in individuals who may suffer, have suffered from, or have been diagnosed with an Eating Disorder, alongside facilitating recruitment of volunteers with Eating Disorders into the NIHR BioResource – Research Tissue Bank (NBR-RTB).   

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria: 

Inclusion Criteria: 

• Participants who are aged 16 or over. 
• Participants who have a lifetime occurrence of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, or any other eating disorder defined in DSM-5. 
• Participants who have been diagnosed and/or treated for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder or any other eating disorder defined in DSM-5. 
• Participants with a probable and undiagnosed eating disorder identified through a screening questionnaire. 
• Participants who have not stated their refusal to take part in future research. 
• Participants who are willing to donate a biological sample for genetic analysis. 
• Participants who are currently living or have permanent residence in England  

ELFT Principal Investigator: Dr Erica Cini

To learn more, contact: Email Nargis Rahmanfard (Lead CSO for EDGI)

Summary: The GLAD Study is exploring genetic risk factors in individuals who have suffered with or been diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety. The GLAD Study is currently the largest study focussing on Anxiety/depression and is a way for those who have experienced the conditions to join the NIHR Mental Health BioResource. The NIHR BioResource is a national initiative where the aim is to collect genetic and clinical data from volunteers to build up a central library of information about people’s health. The project will explore genetic and environmental risk factors associated with depression and anxiety disorders in the UK, to better understand these common disorders and help develop better treatments.   

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria: 

Inclusion Criteria: 

• Participants who meet screening criteria for depression and anxiety and/or treated for depression or anxiety. 
• Participants who are aged 16 or over. 
• Participants who consent to be contacted about future recall studies based on their genotype and phenotype. 
• Participants who are currently living or have permanent residence in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales

ELFT Principal Investigator: Professor Frank Rohricht  

To learn more, contact: Email Anna Myerscough (Lead CSO for GLAD) 

Summary: East London Genes and Health is supporting studies looking at how genes influence disease. By involving large numbers of local Bangladeshi and Pakistani people the study hopes to find new ways of improving the health of Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities in East London and worldwide. The participants will be asked to donate a small saliva sample and share their GP and hospital medical records in strict with confidence with the study team.  

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria: 

Inclusion Criteria: 

• People living within reach of East London, or (second site) Bradford. 
• Self described ethnicity: Bangladeshi, British-Bangladeshi, Pakistani, British-Pakistani 
• Age 16 or over (no upper limit) 
• Willingness to give a saliva DNA sample for analysis 
• Willingness to grant investigators access to medical records (GP, Hospital, and national NHS) for the full duration (stage 1 and stage 2) of the study. 
• Willingness to receive invitations for recall (stage 2 research activity) for the duration of the study (actual participation in all stage 2 research activity would be after a second informed consent process).

 Exclusion Criteria: 

• There will be no exclusion on the basis of gender, or disease status. 
• Patients with mental and learning disabilities are included provided they are deemed competent to consent. However, patients with significant cognitive impairment will be excluded from the study as they may have reduced capacity to both comprehend the research and to agree to participate in it.  

ELFT Principal Investigator: Dr Nick Bass

To learn more, contact: Email Anna Myerscough (Lead CSO for Genes & Health)

Summary: This randomised controlled trial aims to identify which brief, remote psychosocial intervention for people with SMHPs who report recent suicidal ideation or suicide attempt is most clinically effective and cost-effective in preventing avoidable admissions in comparison to treatment as usual. Furthermore, it aims to determine the safety of the interventions. The brief remote interventions compared include structured peer support and safety planning. 

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria: 

Inclusion Criteria: 

• Currently receiving care from a Home-Based Treatment Team/ Crisis team or have done so within the last 14 days, since referrals to HBTT/Crisis team are associated with increased risk of a psychiatric hospital admission in the near future. 
• Aged 16+ 
• Meet criteria for a diagnosis of SMHP (schizophrenia spectrum, bipolar, major depressive disorder, EUPD, PTSD or cPTSD) since these diagnoses account for the majority of PHAs for mental health difficulties 
• Experienced suicidal ideation or attempt within the last month / current crisis episode, as operationalised by answering ‘yes’ to items 1 or 2 of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. 
• Able to provide informed consent. 
• Receiving care from a Community Mental Health Team or Early Intervention Service, to ensure ongoing specialist mental health support following discharge from HBTT. 

Exclusion Criteria: 

• Organic impairment, as this could be the cause of mental health symptoms rather than a SMHP. 
• Non-English speaking, since two of the interventions are remotely delivered talking therapies and one of the interventions is a smartphone app which has only been developed in English. Provision for non-English speakers would be impossible on both financial and logistical grounds. 
• Primary diagnosis of a drug or alcohol dependence, as this could be the cause of mental health symptoms rather than a SMHP. 
• Moderate to severe learning disability as confirmed by the participants responsible clinician in their care team 
• Immediate risk to others, for ethical and safety reasons 
• Currently receiving psychiatric inpatient care (since people in recent contact with crisis teams may have already been admitted to hospital)  

ELFT Principal Investigator: Dr Justyana Sierpatowska

To learn more, contact: Email Isabel Graham (CSO on RAPID)

Summary: Suicide is the second-leading cause of death in young people globally according to the WHO (2014), and the strongest predictor of suicide is self-harm. Despite many young people presenting to emergency departments with self-harm, many of them have repeat attendances with very low rates of adolescents attending follow-up appointments. The aim of SASH, a randomised controlled trial, is to evaluate the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of a new brief psychological intervention in reducing repeat self-harm compared to treatment as usual in adolescents with self-harm who present to emergency departments.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria: 

Inclusion Criteria: 

• 12-19 years old 
• Presenting in crisis to the ED with self-harm or suicidal ideation with recent self-harm (within one month) 

Exclusion Criteria: 

• Possible Learning Disability, judged by clinician 
• Need for intensive treatment (i.e. more intensive treatment than the intervention offers e.g. 
• Tier 3.5 or an inpatient psychiatric admission) 
• Current psychotic episode 
• Registered with a GP outside of the MH trust catchment area  

ELFT Principal Investigator: Dr Ruth Woolhouse 

To learn more, contact: Email Isabel Graham (Lead CSO for SASH)

Summary: CONTACT-GAD aims to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a psychological intervention for treatment resistant Generalised Anxiety Disorder (TR-GAD) in older people within a randomised controlled trial. Generalised Anxiety Disorder is the most common anxiety disorder in older people, with an estimated prevalence of up to 11%. Although Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is not part of the current care pathway in the UK for older people in TR-GAD, it may be particularly suited to older people with TR-GAD. The study will determine the effectiveness of tailored Acceptance and Commitment Therapy plus usual care in comparison to usual care alone for reducing anxiety in older people with TR-GAD.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria: 

Inclusion Criteria: 

• Aged ≥60 years; 
• Diagnosis of GAD using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview 
• GAD that is ‘treatment resistant’, defined as GAD that has failed to respond adequately to pharmacotherapy and/or psychotherapy treatment, as described in step 3 of the UK's stepped care model for GAD 
• Living in the community (i.e. those living in domestic residences or assisted living facilities, but not care homes). 

Exclusion Criteria: 

• Judged to lack capacity to provide fully informed written consent to participate in the trial 
• A diagnosis of dementia or intellectual disability using standard diagnostic guidelines, or clinically judged to have moderate or severe cognitive impairment (e.g. due to probable dementia, traumatic brain injury, stroke, etc) 
• A diagnosis of an imminently life-limiting illness where they would not be expected to survive for the duration of the study 
• Expressing suicidal ideation with active suicidal behaviours/plans and active intent, as assessed using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale Screener (40), for whom an inpatient admission would be more appropriate 
• Currently receiving a course of formal psychological therapy delivered by a formally trained psychologist or psychotherapist (e.g. CBT, psychodynamic psychotherapy, systemic therapy, counselling, etc), or those who are unwilling to refrain from engaging in such formal psychological therapy should they be randomly allocated to the ACT arm 
• Self-report having received ACT in the FACTOID feasibility study 
• Having already been randomised in the CONTACT-GAD trial or living with another person who has already been randomised in the CONTACT-GAD trial 
• Taking part in clinical trials of other interventions for GAD  

ELFT Principal Investigator: Kitty Clark-Mcghee

To learn more, contact: Email Nargis Rahmanfard (Lead CSO for CONTACT-GAD)

Summary: There are lots of problems with dementia diagnosis in the NHS and more cost-effective tools that can support timely and accurate diagnosis are needed. Dementia pathologies target the auditory brain and can cause early changes in auditory scene analysis, spatial hearing and degraded speech perception. DIADEM is an observational cohort study which will aims to evaluate the utility of digital auditory biomarkers to support the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and stratification of patients with mild cognitive disorder in NHS memory clinics.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria: 

Inclusion Criteria: 

• Participant is attending a memory clinic for evaluation of whether they might be suffering from dementia OR Participant is a healthy control subject from the same age range as the memory clinic sample 
• Willingness to take part in the study 
• Participant is over 18 years of age 

Exclusion criteria: 

• Healthy controls will be excluded if they have significant neurological or psychiatric comorbidities e.g. Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder or Psychotic Illness  

ELFT Principal Investigator: Dr Nick Bass 

To learn more, contact: Email Sarah Boughetane (Lead CSO for DIADEM)

Summary:  This study seeks to assess serotonergic neurotransmission in people with negative symptoms. This study will assess the relationship between serotonin and negative symptoms, as assessed by MRI and PET imaging. 

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria for schizophrenia patients:

•    Diagnosis of schizophrenia based on DSM-5 criteria;
•    Males and females, aged 18 and over;
•    Capable of giving informed consent;
•    Fluency in the English language;
•    Good physical health;

Inclusion criteria (schizotypal personality traits)
•    Presence of a disorder associated with negative symptoms (schizotypal personality disorder, depressive disorder or Parkinson’s disease) based on DSM-V criteria for schizotypal personality disorder and major depressive disorder, and UK Brain Bank diagnostic criteria for Parkinson’s disease;
•    Scoring in top 10% of scores on the negative factor of the schizotypal personality questionnaire;
•    Males and females, aged 18 and over;
•    Capable of giving informed consent;
•    Fluency in the English language;
•    Good physical health.

Inclusion criteria for healthy controls: 
•    Males and females aged 18 and over;
•    Capable of giving informed consent;
•    Fluency in the English language;
•    Good physical health;
•    No personal or family history of psychiatric illness or drug dependence/ abuse.

Exclusion Criteria

Exclusion criteria (all subjects)
•    Pregnancy or breast feeding; 
•    Current or recent (previous 1 month) use of any antidepressant medication;
•    Current illicit drug use or history of drug dependence/abuse excluding tobacco and caffeine;
•    Alcohol consumption above the recommended limit (14 units per week);
•    Significant psychiatric comorbidity (Generalised anxiety disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive disorder, Bipolar Disorder, etc) as determined by structured interview;
•    History of significant cardiovascular disorders - particularly history of bleeding or clotting disorders including DVT, CVA, significant hypertension (AHA grade II: systolic >160mmHg), arrhythmia or angina;
•    Significant other medical comorbidity as judged by the investigator;
•    Significant radiation exposure such that inclusion in this study will take the total dose over 10mSv within the preceding 12 months;
•    Any contraindications for MRI;
•    Contraindications to dexamphetamine: moderate to severe hypertension, hyperthyroidism, known hypersensitivity to sympathomimetic amines, glaucoma, agitated states, drug dependence, current or recent administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors, seizures, peripheral vasculopathy;
•    Weight >120kg;
•    Significant abnormality on ECG including QTc >450ms (males) or 470ms (females);
•    Current participation in other research studies.

Additional exclusion criteria (only for subjects with schizophrenia or schizotypal personality traits)
•    Currently taking medication at a dose likely to lead to significant 5-HT2a occupancy based on published evidence;
•    A history of rapid relapse (relapse within one week of exacerbation of symptoms) or significant mental health risk (current self or other harm ideation or history of significant past self or other harm); 
•    Judged unsafe to participate by their clinical team;
•    Significant extra-pyramidal side effects;
•    Severe positive symptoms – PANSS score ≥6 on Delusions (P1), Hallucinatory behaviour (P3) or Suspiciousness / persecution (P6).

ELFT Principal Investigator: ELFT is a Participant Identification Centre (PIC) for this study. The Chief Investigator at Imperial College London is Professor Oliver Howes.

To learn more: Discuss with your clinician then contact Dr Martin Osugo (Co-Investigator).

Summary: A study to explore the lived experience perspectives of physical multimorbidity (MM) among East London residents living with psychosis, focusing on psychosocial risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:

There are 2 participant cohorts for this study. Service-Users diagnosed with a psychotic disorder and Healthcare Professionals that work with the service-users at ELFT.

Inclusion criteria:

Group A – Participants with Psychosis
• Adults with a confirmed psychotic disorder diagnosis
• At least two long-term physical illnesses
• Residing in East London (recruited via ELFT)
• Has a clinical care coordinator
• Able and willing to give written and informed consent
• Have capacity
• Aged ≥ 18 years
• All genders
• All ethnicities
• All socioeconomic groupings

Group B – Healthcare Professionals
• Must be working within ELFT
• Must be working with the patient population of interest
• Able and willing to give written and informed consent
• Aged ≥ 18 years
• All genders
• All ethnicities
• All socioeconomic groupings

Chief Investigator: Dr Georgina Hosang

ELFT Principal Investigator: Dr Brent Elliot, Tower Hamlets Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams

To learn more: Discuss with your clinician then contact Dr Brent Elliot. 

Summary:  Cognitive assessments (used to assess mental abilities like memory) are an important part of clinical assessments in some settings, e.g. memory clinics where assessments of dementia are conducted. They help the clinicians decide if, for example, someone has dementia. This study therefore aims to see whether maths ability is linked with Dot Counting Test (DCT) performance.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria:

Inclusion criteria will be any patient under the care of East London NHS Foundation Trust’s forensic mental health services, whether they be inpatients or residing in the community.

Participants must be at least 18 years old, and have capacity to consent.

Exclusion criteria:  

Exclusion criteria are those that lack mental capacity to give informed consent, those that are sufficiently impaired by acute symptoms of mental illness that they would not be able to attend/concentrate sufficiently to the testing process, and those that would present too great a risk of harm to others that they could not be alone safely in a room with a researcher.

Chief Investigator: Dr Matthew Charles, Psychology Department, John Howard Centre

ELFT Principal Investigator: This is an ELFT Sponsored Study. 

To learn more: Discuss with your clinician and then contact Dr Charles. 

Summary: The study aims to determine how manualised group body oriented psychological therapy (group-BOPT) can be offered to patients with complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder / PTSD and to explore the potential benefits of the therapy (i.e. determining how well the therapy works, its relevance, and potential effects in reducing core symptoms of complex PTSD and corresponding subjective quality of life)

More specifically, the project aims to systematically evaluate the acceptance, safety and therapeutic impact of BOPT in preparation for a subsequent clinical pilot trial.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria:

• Patients are eligible to take part in the study if they have a confirmed diagnosis of c-PTSD according to the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ).
• All potential participants will have been identified as suitable for trauma therapy and be registered on a waiting list for therapy at one of the research sites.
• Age range 18-65
• Capacity to give informed consent and basic command of English language.
• Stable psychotropic medication (no medication or no change in medication in the last 3 months and no anticipated change)

Exclusion criteria:  

• Organic mental disorder
• Confirmed Diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder
• Psychotic mental states
• No capacity to give informed consent (monitoring of capacity will occur throughout)
• Risk of suicide or self-harming behaviour necessitating hospitalisation.
• Any medical condition that restricts movements severely (immobility).

Chief Investigator: Professor Frank Rohricht

ELFT Principal Investigator: Jo Stubley (Tavistock and Portman Charity) and Frank Rohricht (ELFT)

To learn more: Discuss with your clinician and then contact Professor Frank Rohricht.

Summary: The Transforming Care Agenda was set out by the UK government in 2011 following an abusive incident against people with learning disabilities at Winterbourne View, an independent hospital. The main action from this plan was to move patients back into community care. As support workers and managers are key mediators in approaches to ensure that people with learning disabilities can have a good quality of life, there is very little research that has been done looking at their experiences and direct impact it can make.

This study seeks to find out what is the experience of support workers and managers, who are supporting people with learning disabilities who have moved from inpatient to community settings as part of the Transforming Care Agenda?

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria: Support Workers and Managers recruited from ELFT Community LD Teams.

Chief Investigator: Kate Blamires, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

ELFT Principal Investigator: Dr Afia Ali

To learn more: Contact Dr Afia Ali. 

Summary: The aim of the study is to identify barriers that keep women experiencing perinatal mental health problems from reaching out for help. By working with women who are from different cultural backgrounds, the study aims to find the link between religion and community of ethnic minority women and their hesitation to reach out to one of the mental health services.  

The study seeks to recruit 5 women who only received care from ELFT and also 5 helath professionals from ELFT.

Chief Investigator: Dr Rebecca Webb

ELFT Principal Investigator: Justine Cawley

To learn more, contact: Justine Cawley.

Summary: The aim of this study is to explore how concepts of one’s identity, such as race, gender, culture, sexuality and class are brought up during family therapy sessions. The Research Team aims to understand how the concept of self-identity brought up during a family therapy session could impact the direction of therapy, its effectiveness and the overall well-being of the patient.

The study seeks to recruit 4 family therapists (individuals) and 3-4 families (units of more than 1 person).

Chief Investigator: Dr Sim Roy-Chowdhury

ELFT Principal Investigator: Sandeep Kahloan

To learn more, contact: Sandeep Kahloan

Summary: The study seeks to answer what factors do people with EUPD/BPD (Emotionally Unstable/Borderline Personality Disorder) consider likely to influence their decision to disclose their sexual behaviour during psychological therapy? AND how do people with EUPD/BPD make the decision whether to disclose about their sexual behaviour in therapy?

Chief Investigator: Bardana Singh

ELFT Principal Investigator: Dr David Beecraft, Newham Mentalisation Service

To learn more, contact: Dr David Beecraft