Why apply for adoption on to the SMHRN?

Studies adopted on to the SMHRN will be endorsed by the network and able to use the SMHRN logo. Expert advice and support will be available through our Regional Leads and Associate Directors. Adopted studies can also apply for support from our network of regional mental health research nurses and research assistants who can provide support and assistance with:

Check list for eligibility for adoption:

In order for your study to be eligible to apply for adoption it must satisfy the following criteria:

• Directly relevant to mental health.
• Includes human participants.
• Eligible type of study:
  
  
  1. Randomised control Trial RCT
  2. Epidemiological Study
  3. Genetic Study
  4. Imaging Study
  5. Pilot Study - with potential to become an RCT
  6. Commercial funded study
  
  
• Led from or include a site in Scotland.
• Funded, or has an application pending with, an eligible funder.

Please contact the SMHRN team if you would like to discuss study eligibility.

How to apply for Adoption?

Please complete our Adoption form and return it by email. If you need any help or assistance with completing the form please contact our administrator on 0131 537 6542. Once we have received your completed adoption form we will aim to be in touch within five working days.

If your study is eligible for adoption it will be submitted to the next Management Group meeting and the Chief Investigator of the study will be invited to attend to answer the groups questions. The Management Group is chaired by the Director of the network and membership includes the Regional Leads and Associate Directors. The Group will assess whether the network should adopt the study and consider your request for support from the network.

Experience of using the SMHRN Adoption Service
EDIE2 - Principal Investigator, Prof Andrew Gumley

"EDIE-2 is an MRC funded randomised controlled trial comparing Cognitive Therapy plus Treatment as Usual versus TAU alone in the prevention of transition to psychosis. The trial has run in 4 United Kingdom centres: East Anglia / Cambridge, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow and aimed to recruit 320 help-seeking individuals assessed to be at ultra high risk of developing psychosis. The trial had already received support from the Mental Health Research Network in England which provided additional resources to facilitate identification of potential participants, recruitment and consent, and follow-up. Effectively this meant that the Glasgow centre was aiming to recruit the same number of participants with less resource.

The Scottish Mental Health Research Network adopted the Glasgow centre and provided invaluable support in employing an additional 0.5 w.t.e. Research Assistant specifically to support recruitment into the trial. This support made a highly significant impact on our rate of recruitment into the trial by allowing the team to increase its liaison with services and extend our early detection education strategies. I have no doubt that the support of SMHRN has provided a valuable resource and infrastructure to support the success of clinical trials such as EDIE-2 in Scotland".