RITM0169887: A Computational Framework for Evaluating Mental Health Interventions in Post-Flood Contexts
This project will develop a computer tool to help decision-makers identify the most effective and best value mental health support for people affected by flooding.
About the project
What the project aims to do
This project will build a computer tool that helps decision-makers choose the best types of mental health support after floods. It will also check if these types of help are good value for money. The project has five objectives. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) National Study of Flooding and Health (NSFH) data will be used to support Objective 1, which is to understand how flooding affects people’s mental health over time, and how this is shaped by a person’s own situation and the area they live in. It will also identify which of these factors support services could focus on to help people most.
Findings from this objective will then be used to support the wider project, including a computer modelling tool that can test different types of mental health support in different flood situations and checking to see which support services work best for money spent.
Why this project is important
Whilst research has shown that flooding can have serious effects on mental health, there is limited evidence on which mental health support services are most effective after flooding and whether they provide good value for money.
This project will help fill that gap by developing a computer tool that tests how different mental health services work after flooding using evidence from previous flooding events. The findings will help decision-makers identify effective services, spend money better and plan support that works.
Who the data is about
The data covers people who lived in flood-affected neighbourhoods in the south of England during the winter floods of 2013 to 2014 and in Cumbria during the floods of December 2015, and who consented to participate in the National Study of Flooding and Health (NSFH).
How the data will be used
Researchers at Coventry University will receive data from the UKHSA National Study of Flooding and Health. The study contains information provided by people who experienced major flooding events in England.
The researchers will analyse the data to understand how different flood-related experiences, such as the depth of floodwater, time spent away from home, and disruption to essential services, are associated with mental health outcomes over time.
Researchers will use software to look at patterns within the data and identify which factors are most important when looking at mental health support after flooding. The findings will help create a computer tool that can be used to predict how well different support services might work in future floods, and how much they might cost.
How often data is needed
One-off release.
How this project will benefit public health and the public
This project will help experts decide which types of mental health support work best after flooding, and which ones offer good value for money. It will focus on finding the best ways to reduce the health effects of flooding, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. In the long term, people in flood-affected areas will be more likely to get the right kind of help at the right time.
Planned project outputs and communication
- peer-reviewed scientific journals
- conference presentation
- software products or web tools
- other – PhD thesis
- other – policy briefs
- other – stakeholder workshops or seminars
- other – public engagement outputs (accessible summaries, infographics, or engagement events, raising awareness about the mental health impacts of flooding)
Lawful processing of personal and special category personal data
The data needed for this project is not personal data.
Legal basis for using personal data (Article 6)
Not applicable.
Legal basis for using special category personal data (Article 9)
Not applicable.
Common law duty of confidentiality
The data needed for this project is not confidential patient information.
How is the duty of confidentiality set aside
Not applicable,
National Data Opt-Out
Will opt-out preferences be applied?
No.
Where ‘No’, why?
The National Data Opt-Out does not apply to anonymised data.
Digital object identifier
Not available for this project.