On World Sleep Day (15th March), the Circadian Mental Health Network launched the Mental Health and the Body Clock survey.
This survey is a crucial part of setting the research agenda for mental health, sleep and circadian science. The aim is to identify what questions are important for research to answer about mental health, sleep and circadian rhythms (sometimes referred to as "body clocks").
These questions will be made research priorities according to individuals with lived experience of mental health difficulties, disrupted body clocks and/or supporting others with these experiences.
The launch of this survey is just part of all the work we have been doing with the James Lind Alliance for a Mental Health and the Body Clock Priority Setting Partnership (PSP).
Our survey was designed and put together by our PSP Steering Group, a group comprised of clinicians, support-charity members, researchers and individuals with lived experience of mental health difficulties and/or disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms.
We have also been very lucky to be working in partnership with The McPin Foundation. Our McPin Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) have been an integral part of both the general work of the Circadian Mental Health Network and of the PSP Steering Group.
Their insights have been wonderful, and have made our survey, and the images/videos surrounding it, what it is. We are extremely grateful for all of their expertise and experience.
We are also delighted to share that members of the LEAP have shared their experience of being part of this process, as well as sharing some of their own experiences with mental health, sleep and circadian rhythm disruption.
They have spoken about the "vicious cycle" of disrupted sleep/body clocks and mental health. They have spoken about the impact this has had on their daily lives. Sharing their own experiences and highlighting the importance of taking part in the survey.
They have expressed their experiences through fantastic blogs, and beautiful poetry.
You can find all of their blogs here.
We are so grateful to our LEAP members for all of their enthusiasm, their insights, their expertise and especially for sharing their experiences with us. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
And, as one of our LEAP members said: "There are still so many questions for research to reveal the answers to", and we need your help to identify which questions are the most important.
If you have questions about mental health, sleep and circadian rhythms (body clocks), let us know: Mental Health and the Body Clock survey.
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