Glasgow Caledonian psychology and computing experts team up with SAMH to boost mental health services across Scotland
Two Glasgow Caledonian University departments have secured £370,000 of Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) funding to work with Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) to develop new clinical AI tools to expand the vital services.
Project lead Dr Bryan McCann, School of Health and Life Sciences (SHLS) Department of Psychology Senior Lecturer, will work with Dr Dawn Carmichael, Software Engineering Lecturer, in the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment (SCEBE) Department of Computing, who will lead the computing team.
Other staff members involved are Dr Lindsey Burns, Dr Jane Guiller and Dr Fidan Fraser, from the Department of Psychology, and Professor Huaglory Tianfield and Dr Yan Zhang, from the Department of Computing.
The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Innovate UK funding will pay for two KTP Associates from psychology and computing, who will be based at the SAMH charity in Glasgow. They will spend two years delivering the project.
The aim of the project is to develop a psychologically-informed, AI-driven service user digital gateway to support SAMH's in-person and online mental health services, which will improve access to mental health support across the country.
The KTP marks the next step of Glasgow Caledonian’s strategic partnership with SAMH, building on Dr McCann’s work developing the ‘Time for You’ service and supporting SAMH’s Psychological Wellbeing strategy for the past five years.
Alex Cumming, SAMH Executive Director of Operations, said: “We’re delighted to part of this Innovate UK funded project which enable us to continue to develop accessible services and delivering on our principle of ask once get help fast. Our strategic partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University has allowed us to develop and enhance our psychological wellbeing service ensuring reach across Scotland. This programme of work will deepen our understanding and expertise of digital mental health support and allow us to be there for people then they need us.”
Ciaran Barbour, Digital Strategy Manager at SAMH, said: “We are thrilled to announce the development of this project which is a ground-breaking initiative for SAMH and the way in which we deliver support.
“This project underscores our commitment to addressing the rising demand for mental health support across Scotland by building on our existing relationship with Glasgow Caledonian and leveraging new expertise from the Department of Computing.
“SAMH recently developed a new digital strategy for the organisation and central to this was a commitment to innovation, and a partnership approach to help us achieve this. The project will also help us strengthen our internal expertise as well as present SAMH as a key player in digital transformation across the health and social care sector in Scotland.”
This new funding comes after the University’s partnership with SAMH won the ‘Making a Social Difference’ category at the 10th Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards in March. Dr McCann, who leads the partnership with SAMH, was also highly commended in the ‘Knowledge Exchange Champion’ category.
Dr McCann said: “We are delighted to have secured funding for this exciting, innovative and impactful KTP with SAMH.
“Our strategic partnership with SAMH over the last five years has led to a number of innovations, making a positive contribution to the Common Good as recognised by our recent shortlisting for the ‘Making a Social Difference’ award at the upcoming Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards.
“Together we’ve supported the mental health of the public through the ‘Time for You’ service, and dozens of our trainee psychologists support this service, as well as others, through placements with SAMH. This KTP marks the next step on our partnership and it is fantastic to be working alongside colleagues to develop new and enhanced ways of supporting mental health through psychologically-informed and AI-driven solutions.
Dr Carmichael said: “Working with SAMH and our academic colleagues, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to apply AI to improve access to mental health support. By combining SAMH’s expertise with advanced machine learning and clinical insights, we aim to develop an intelligent, user-centred gateway that enhances the effectiveness and reach of mental health services.”