Mental Health BioResource

A re-contactable mental health bioresource comprised of participants who have provided rich phenotypic information and genetic data.

Graphic of profiles of heads to represent mental health

About the Mental Health BioResource

The NIHR BioResource for Mental Health focuses on recruiting participants experiencing mental health conditions, as well as healthy controls.

We use web portals to recruit and have nearly 25,000 participants who have joined our study about depression and anxiety.

Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) is the largest such bioresource and has extensive phenotypic information and genetic data.

Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health disorders worldwide. In the UK, 1 in 3 people will experience symptoms during their lifetime. The GLAD Study aims to better understand depression and anxiety in order to find effective treatments and improve the lives of people experiencing these disorders.

GLAD image

A similar approach is being used to recruit participants to the Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI). Apart from those with anorexia we also recruit conditions such as bulimia, binge eating and non-specified eating disorders.

Our aim is to collect the psychological, medical, and genetic information of 10,000 people with experience of any eating disorder. This will help us to better understand the role both our genes and environment play in the development of these illnesses.

COVID

In response to the pandemic we launched COVID19-related projects; one to assess mental health during the pandemic (COPING; COVID19 Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry Genetics) and another to study impact on the brain. The recently launched COVID-CNS project will study acute neurological effects of COVID-19, which will provide vital information about the interrelationship between infection and psychiatry.

View of lab with microscope, brain scans and DNA on screen
Close-up of keyboard with 'Contact us' written on one of the keys

Contact information 

bioresource@kcl.ac.uk

Our Centres and Programmes

The NIHR BioResource is a network of Centres that recruit participants locally and lead research programmes.

More about our Centres and Programmes