Trinity College Dublin Leads New HRB Funded Mental Health Research for Underserved Groups

Trinity College Dublin Leads New HRB Funded Mental Health Research for Underserved Groups

(IN BRIEF) Trinity College Dublin is leading two of ten newly funded mental health research projects supported by a €2 million investment from the Health Research Board through its Applied Partnership Awards scheme. The Trinity projects focus on improving mental health outcomes for children in state care and addressing loneliness and quality of life among older adults living with HIV. Alongside the project funding, an additional €1 million has been allocated to establish a new all-island collaborative mental health research network. Together, these initiatives reflect Ireland’s growing commitment to applied, collaborative research that informs policy and improves mental health support for underserved populations.

(PRESS RELEASE) DUBLIN, 9-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Trinity College Dublin is leading two newly funded mental health research projects focused on children in state care and older adults living with HIV, following a €2 million investment announced by the Health Research Board. The funding supports ten projects nationwide under the HRB’s Applied Partnership Awards scheme, which prioritizes research addressing the needs of underserved and high-risk groups.

The funding announcement was made by Mary Butler, Minister of State for Mental Health, who highlighted the growing national commitment to evidence-based mental health policy and innovation. Dedicated funding for mental health research in Ireland has tripled since 2022, reflecting a sustained focus on improving mental health outcomes across diverse communities.

One of the Trinity-led projects, Improving Outcomes for Children in Care, is being led by Professor David Hevey and Professor Ben Butlin of Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with Robert O’Connor from the Tusla Child and Family Agency. The research aims to address longstanding challenges in identifying and supporting the mental health needs of children placed in state care. Professor Hevey explains that while these children are at heightened risk of negative psychological outcomes, existing assessment tools used in traditional mental health settings often fail to detect the specific difficulties they experience.

Working closely with Tusla, the project will be based in Trinity’s Research Centre for the Developing Person within the School of Psychology. Subject to approval, the team plans to apply psychological science to design and test a new screening and outcome measurement framework that could be rolled out nationally, helping to guide more effective and timely therapeutic interventions.

The second Trinity-led project, Understanding and Addressing Mental Health, Loneliness and Quality of Life in Older People Living with HIV in Ireland: A Pathway to Social Prescribing, is led by Dr Louise Brennan of Trinity College Dublin alongside Professor David Robinson from St James’s Hospital Dublin. This study will examine the mental health and social wellbeing of older adults living with HIV, with a focus on loneliness, quality of life, and the potential role of social prescribing in improving outcomes for this population.

In addition to the ten funded projects, a separate €1 million investment will establish a new all-island Collaborative Research Network in mental health. The network will be led by Maynooth University, in partnership with the University of Galway and the National Suicide Research Foundation at University College Cork. The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration and knowledge sharing across institutions working in mental health research.

Commenting on the announcement, Minister Mary Butler said the investment represents a major step forward in understanding and responding to mental health needs in Ireland, reinforcing the importance of research-driven policy. Dr Gráinne Gorman, Chief Executive of the HRB, added that the funding demonstrates the value of co-production and collaboration in generating research that improves mental health and wellbeing, particularly for priority and underserved groups across the island of Ireland.

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SOURCE: Trinity College Dublin