Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) have received a Research Implementation and Impact award for its Multi-Modal Approach to Preventing Suicide in Schools (MAPSS) at the Health Innovation North West Coast Awards which has been part-funded by the Suicide Prevention Programme and the Cheshire and Merseyside Directors of Public Health.
First piloted in Cheshire and Merseyside, MAPSS is a suicide prevention programme for Year 10 pupils, aimed at reducing suicide risk and increasing help-seeking among young people, and it is now being tested across the sub-region via a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded randomised controlled trial, currently taking place in the School of Psychology at LJMU led by Professor Pooja Saini and Dr Emma Ashworth, alongside Project Manager, Dr Molly McCarthy and Research Assistant, Sio Wynne.
MAPSS has over 20 collaborations, with lived experience advisors, local schools, national charities and academics. Around 800 students have been taught suicide prevention lessons and 100 young people have been identified as at-risk and been referred to their schools for support.
Due to the significant impact and reach of the project, the team were shortlisted and have now won the Ruth Young Award for Research Implementation and Impact at the Health Innovation North West Coast Awards. The award recognises examples of research initiatives or partner collaborations that have delivered evidence which has been transferred/delivered into practice and can demonstrate outputs that have enhanced or improved frontline delivery to service users in any area.
This award is a great example of the success achievable with a collaborative approach to enabling research supported by the Cheshire and Merseyside Directors of Public Health and highlights their strength in facilitating innovation.
