Exploring wellbeing and social group attendance in UK caregivers of people with severe mental illness (SMI)

Currently, there is very little research on how to improve the wellbeing of people who are supporting someone with a severe mental illness (SMI). Help researchers from the University of Oxford Department of Experimental Psychology fill this gap. They are exploring whether wellbeing is related to attending different kinds of social groups (e.g. support groups, clubs and group activities), or not. Here’s a short video about the research: https://youtu.be/ZTlav32JWQc.

This online anonymous survey is for caregivers of someone with an SMI, whether or not you attend social groups – the researchers are keen to hear from you either way. Questions cover your wellbeing & mental health, the support you provide, the impact on you, about any groups you attend & your background.

The study has been approved by the University of Oxford Central University Research Ethics Committee (Reference: MS IDREC 2204969).

Who they are looking for:

• Adults (18 years or over), living in the UK
• People supporting someone aged 16+ (unpaid) who is experiencing psychosis, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, or so-called ‘personality disorders’ (aka ‘complex emotional needs’)
• You do not experience severe mental illness yourself
• Whether or not you attend a social group
• You do not have to identify as a ‘carer/caregiver’– if you provide unpaid emotional/practical help/support to someone close (emotionally &/or geographically) to you, who is aged 16 or over, and who could not cope without your support due to SMI, then this survey is for you

Expected commitment from participants: 

• The survey takes about 40 minutes – you can take breaks and return to it as long as you use the same internet browser and complete it within one week

Closing date to take part: 31^st July 2026

This online survey has been developed with input from experts by experience to make it as accessible as possible. If you need other support to take part, please let the researchers know and they will do their best to accommodate you. You can contact the researchers Dr Eiluned Pearce (eiluned.pearce@psy.ox.ac.uk or 07775229377), Dr Lorna Hogg (lorna.hogg@hmc.ox.ac.uk) and Dr Shama El-Salahi (Shama.ElSalahi@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk) with questions and comments.