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Mood disorders

Sad woman looking out of kitchen window (stock photo) © SciencePhotoLibrary

Mood disorders include depressive and bipolar disorders.  Our research investigates the causes and symptoms of these disorders and how to prevent them or manage them more effectively using medication, psychological treatments and practical interventions.



Groups within this theme

We work to understand the cognitive, biological, emotional and somatic processes underpinning the severe eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa in particular, and Eating Disorders in general. Our trans-disciplinary research, involving clinicians and neuroscientists, aims to translate research findings into novel treatment strategies.
Oxford Brain-Body Research into Eating Disorders
Our research aims to understand how psychotropic drugs work at molecular level. By exploring this through clinical research in patients we contribute to the development of new evidence-based pharmacological treatments for severe mental illness.
Clinical Psychopharmacology
Using computer models of behaviour, we aim to better understand anxiety and depression, and to guide the development of novel treatments.
Computational Psychiatry
A Creative Collaborative for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, Policy & Practice * Underpinned by Methodologies and Critiques from Cultural Psychiatry and Health Inequalities Research * Testing and Evolving Eco-Social, Bio-Psycho-Social, and Syndemic Frameworks
The CHiMES Collaborative
Our research includes projects in the epidemiology of mental illness and violent crime, violence risk assessment, prison health, pharmacoepidemiology studies, forensic services, and suicide and self-harm in prisoners and offenders. More recent work has focused on suicide prevention, particularly in people with severe mental illness.
Forensic Psychiatry
Our mission is to prevent depression and enhance human potential across the lifespan through the therapeutic use of mindfulness.
University of Oxford Mindfulness Research Centre
Our research aims to understand how individual genes contribute to the complex brain functions that are impaired in people with psychiatric disorders. By understanding these links we hope to improve treatments for these disorders.
Neural Correlates of Gene Function
We explore how the brain processes emotional information and how this is influenced by brain chemicals and medicines. This helps us to understand disorders such as depression and anxiety and to understand and contribute to the development of drug and psychological treatments.
Psychopharmacology and Emotion Research Laboratory
This research group runs the OxWell Student Survey. Our aim is to ensure that school-aged children and adolescents can directly let us know how they are feeling and what might best help them. The OxWell survey is online and asks students in years 5 to 13 over 200 questions on a range of well-being and mental health measures. In 2021, over 30,000 students from 180 schools in four counties in England participated. We would like to thank the schools and students for the time they spent participating in this work. We are keen to learn about what young people need, which factors influence their wellbeing, and how they would like to access help if they have mental health difficulties. The OxWell School Survey has previous data collection points in 2019 and 2020. We work closely with schools, local authorities and mental health commissioners and services and welcome collaborations with interested researchers and services.
School Mental Health
Centre for Suicide Research
Centre for Suicide Research
A daily and weekly remote symptom monitoring system for patients with over a decade of use in research and clinical service
True Colours

Publications

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