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Video: Involving people with learning disabilities and people with severe mental illness in cancer prevention research 

Evidence suggests that people with severe mental illness are 2.1 times more likely to die from cancer before the age of 75, compared to people without severe mental illness, yet cancer screening uptake is low amongst this group.

Dr Kate Sykes from Northumbria University was funded by the NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria to explore the factors that make it difficult for people with severe mental illness (SMI) to access cancer screening, and what could help.

Experts by experience were involved the development and design of the research and continue to provide support and insight around this issue.

You can read more about the work, here: What makes it difficult for people with severe mental illness to access cancer screening, and what can make it easier? – ARC

In March, Kate spoke to the Fuse Public Involvement and Engagement Group (PIEG) about involving people with learning disabilities and people with severe mental illness in cancer prevention research.

Kate is also a great believer in ‘easy read’ information being used as standard for everyone in practice and research. She talked about this and shared some top tips on how information can be made more accessible.

You can watch the session, below.

With thanks to Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, for sharing this recording.

Slides and further information are available here: Resources | Fuse | Newcastle University