CPFT's Mood Disorders Research Clinic works with people aged 18+ with difficult to treat depression, offering psychiatric assessments and guidance on future treatment, plus opportunities to take part in research projects including new therapies. There is no upper age limit.
How to contact
Where to go
The Cavell Centre
506 Bretton Grn
Peterborough PE3 9GZ
UK
Herchel Smith Bldg
Robinson Way
Cambridge CB2 0SZ
UK
What to expect
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust's (CPFT) Mood Disorders Research Clinic is run by a team of health professionals specialising in mood disorders like depression and bipolar affective disorder, particularly treatment-resistant depression. They aim to support people aged 18 and above and their families with comprehensive, evidence-based psychiatric assessments and guidance on future treatment. They also offer opportunities to take part in research projects to improve care for mood disorders, including innovative treatments and new therapies.
The clinic is suitable for people aged 18 and over, including older people, who have depression (bipolar or unipolar), or conditions where depression is the main issue, and have not benefited from at least two treatments, including medication and/or talking therapies. You need to live in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough and be willing to take part in research.
The first step is to be referred to the service by a healthcare professional, or to refer yourself. To use this self-referral service you need your NHS number. Visit this website if you need to find it. Once you have your NHS number, click here to start the self referral, which will ask you a few simple questions. The clinic only accepts a limited number of referrals every day, so if you are unable to refer yourself today please try again tomorrow. After the clinic receives your referral, they will send you some questionnaires via text or email. They may also send you information about relevant open research studies.
The clinic will then contact you to discuss whether the service is suitable for you. If it is, they may discuss research opportunities you can take part in and/or invite you to an in-person assessment with a psychiatrist either in Cambridge or in Peterborough. This visit will last up to two hours and will include a discussion of your current symptoms and previous treatment history and possibly some physical health tests. The psychiatrist will then be able to make recommendations for changes to prescribing or treatment plans. A letter detailing the outcome and recommendations will be sent to you and your GP after the appointment, but the clinic does not provide ongoing care.
You can find more details and information on their website by clicking here.
More information
This service is not suitable for people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and need urgent care, at risk of harm to themselves or others, or people who are mainly experiencing other mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or personality disorders, where other symptoms are worse than depression.
It is also not a clinical service that can provide ongoing support, or urgent and emergency care. You will remain under the care of your current clinician or GP and if you are experiencing any urgent symptoms, call 111 and follow the directions for urgent mental health support or call 999 if symptoms are life threatening.
This service is free.
How to contact
Where to go
The Cavell Centre
506 Bretton Grn
Peterborough PE3 9GZ
UK
Herchel Smith Bldg
Robinson Way
Cambridge CB2 0SZ
UK
