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Nic Murray, Research Officer, Money and Mental Health

Join our research panel

A quarter of people with mental health problems have problem debts, too.


Half of those in debt crisis have a mental health problem.

These were the facts we set out with when we launched. With the help of over 5,000 people with lived experience of mental health problems and financial difficulties we’ve since learned that 72 percent say their mental health made their financial situation worse and 93 percent spent more than usual during periods of poor mental health.

Both are striking figures, but again, they don’t tell the whole story. We want to develop a much richer picture of the complex links between financial difficulties and mental health problems. We want to help people navigate their way through the difficult times, but also to protect themselves from problems like debt and overspending during periods of poor mental health.

Experts by Experience
This is why we are launching our Experts by Experience research panel. The 5,413 people who filled out our survey was an unprecedented number for research on money and mental health, and we want this to grow. Placing your voices at the heart of all our work will allow us to develop a deeper understanding of people’s experiences and develop proposals for government, regulators, financial services providers, health care professionals, technology developers and advice services.

My role
As the research officer at Money and Mental Health I’ll be looking after the research panel and making sure that the surveys we send out and the opportunities we give you are the best they can be.

Before joining Money and Mental Health I was one of the 5,413 that completed the survey.

Joining the team and reading some of the many other responses reaffirmed my belief that there is no way to capture the complex links between money and mental health problems without accounting for the vast uniqueness of individuals’ stories.  Recognising this, we want our research panel to be a rich community, including people with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, making sure that all voices are heard and given a safe space to speak. For example, our carers’ panel specifically aims to hear the voices of those caring for people with mental health problems.

Trialling products and services
We are also excited by the possibilities emerging from new technologies in financial services and mental health. In an age when your personal data is used to predict what you may want to buy or where you may want to go out, why not harness this information to aid in recognising or predicting times when you may need additional support or self-care?

Just as every experience both of mental health problems and financial difficulties is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. With the help of new technology, however, you might find an approach that best fits for you. We are hoping to offer our research panel the chance to trial new products such as financial management apps, wearable devices and other forms of technology, helping you to find out what helps and us to understand what works.

 

Get Involved
If you have experience of mental health problems, or if you have cared for someone that has, you can add your voice to our panel. We will make sure that voice is heard by government, banks, retailers, regulators, the NHS and beyond. Sign up here, or if you have any questions you can email [email protected].