Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to fund research on mental health patient (a) homicide and (b) suicide.

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds a range of research in mental health, including research relating to homicide and suicide. This includes a study which aims to understand whether and how a ‘Distress Brief Intervention’ can reduce suicidal ideation, suicidal behaviour and self-harm among those presenting to front line services in distress and a study to understand the extent of suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, and self-harm in parent carers.

The NIHR welcomes high quality funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including mental health patient homicide and suicide.