The Health Research Board (HRB) will support an all-island research network and 10 research projects that focus on priority or underserved groups with the new investment.
The projects range from implementation of timely youth mental health interventions and improving outcomes for children in care and older people living with HIV to the PROMISE Project on Improving Mental Health Supports for People with Multiple Sclerosis in Ireland with Dr Rebecca Maguire (Maynooth University) and Mary McCusker (Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland)
Speaking about the investment, the project lead Dr Rebecca Maguire said “We are very excited to begin this programme of work over the next two years which will hopefully lead to meaningful change in the provision of services for people with MS in Ireland.
“We launched the PROMISE project at MS Ireland’s annual conference in Cork in November. This project, a partnership between academics, clinicians and knowledge users, with significant integrated public and patient involvement (PPI), aims to identify the characteristics of effective mental health supports for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and the strategies that can be implemented to improve the delivery of mental health services and supports for people living with MS in Ireland”.
The PROMISE project is led by Principal Investigator Dr Rebecca Maguire in the Department of Psychology and the Assisting Living and Learning Institute, Maynooth University, with collaborators from the department (past and present) including Dr Laura Coffey, Professor Deirdre Desmond, Dr Austin Fahy, Professor Philip Hyland and Dr Joanna McHugh Power. In addition, the project is co-led by staff from MS Ireland (Mary McCusker, Professor Susan Coote and Alison Cotter), with input from those with clinical expertise (Dr Sarah Casey, Dr Fiadhnait O'Keeffe and Dr Hugh Kearney), and lived experience of MS (Alanna Denny and Hannah Morris-Bankole).
Speaking about the investment, Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler says:
“This significant investment marks a major step forward in how we understand and respond to mental health needs in Ireland. Dedicated funding for mental health research has tripled since 2022, reflecting our strong commitment to evidence-based policy and innovation.
“The new all-island Collaborative Research Network will transform how research is coordinated, build research capacity, embed lived experience within research projects, and ensure research findings are translated into real-world impact. The Collaborative Research Network was a key recommendation in the Mental Health Research Strategy which I published in December 2024.
“The 10 funded research projects will make a tangible difference whether it’s reducing waiting times for young people through single-session intervention approaches or exploring how GPs can play a greater role in supporting adults with ADHD. The insights generated from these projects will help us build a more responsive, inclusive, and effective mental health service for everyone.”