Welcome to PsyLife

We are a research group based in the UCL Division of Psychiatry. We use epidemiological methods to investigate and prevent inequalities in the social determinants of psychosis and other mental health problems over the life course. 

Founded: 2014. Director: Professor James B. Kirkbride
PSYCHIATRY - white

Investigating the social determinants of psychosis risk over the life course

Our Research

We use epidemiological methods to understand the social determinants of serious mental health problems.   

We apply causal inference methods to population health data to inform better public mental health decision making. 

Our research has informed NICE guidelines and national government policy

Our work, in statistics

In numbers

Our group is founded on research-based learning to deliver novel, high quality evidence on the social determinants of psychosis and other mental health problems for policymakers, clinicians, academics and the public. We publish our peer-reviewed research in leading general medical, psychiatric and social  sciences journals, following the principles of open science and open access publication wherever possible. 

We also publish our work as datasets, book chapters, reports and guidelines where suitable, to maximise its impact in clinical and public health decision-making and policy. You can read more about our science and how it has contributed to public mental health here.      

Publications
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Citations
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PhD students supervised
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MSc students supervised
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Meet the staff & students behind our research

OUR team

We are part of the Department of Epidemiology & Applied Clinical Research in the UCL Division of Psychiatry. In addition to members shown to the right, we typically supervise 3-4 MSc students each year, 1st year rotation PhD students & visiting researchers.

Prof Kirkbride is currently accepting PhD students. Please send enquiries here.

James Kirkbride

Director

India Francis-Crossley

PhD student

Annie Jeffery

Research Fellow

Georgie Hudson

PhD student

Humma Andleeb

PhD student 

Natalie Rich

PhD student

Alua Yeskendir

PhD student

How our work is used to inform better public health & mental health care

from evidence to impact

We use our research to help policymakers, clinicians and mental health services to provide better care for people experiencing mental health difficulties. 

For example, our research to better understand the epidemiology of psychotic disorders has allowed us to develop prediction models about the number of people who are likely to need care for psychosis in any given population, based on that population’s unique sociodemographic profile and exposure to factors in the social environment. Our predictions are used by NICE, the NHS and Public Health England to help plan effectively-resourced Early Intervention in Psychosis [EIP] services. You can read more about this here, and see the prediction tool in action here.

Our research has also informed a wide variety of decision making, including international guidelines on care for psychosis in migrant and minority ethnic groups. You can read more about how are research makes a difference, here.  

PSYchiatric MAPping Translated into Innovations for Care

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