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This case study shows how Alan Walker's internationally acclaimed research on active ageing has led to policy and practice changes locally, nationally and internationally in response to what is widely recognised as the grand societal challenge of population ageing. Walker developed the concept of active ageing which has been adopted by national governments in Quebec and Northern Ireland, national charities and Sheffield City Council, leading in each case to significant policy change which is benefiting older people. As a result of this work Walker was awarded the inaugural ESRC Impact Champion prize in 2013
Professor Cary Cooper as chair of the Science Coordination team of a government Foresight programme led the development of evidence-based policy and a longer-term vision to optimise `Mental Capital and Wellbeing in the UK in the 21st Century'. He was also lead scientist on one of its five programme pathways — `Work and Wellbeing'. The MCW Foresight findings showed that in England alone, mental ill health costs the economy £77bn a year, demonstrating the significance of the research. The findings were presented to the highest levels of government in the UK and Europe, businesses, academia and interested parties. As a result there has been a significant drive and awareness to improve factors that affect wellbeing for example revised flexible working arrangements under the Children and Families Bill. Cabinet Secretary Lord Gus O'Donnell corroborates that `the report made politicians realise that they needed to care about wellbeing and that attacking mental health issues was a key way to raise wellbeing'.
Research on the economic case for interventions to prevent mental illness, to address mental health needs and to promote mental wellbeing has been conducted by the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) in the LSE Health and Social Care group with demonstrable impact on government policy in England and beyond. Research has influenced preparation of the National Dementia Strategy for England and the Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia; underpinned the establishment of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme; and generated part of the evidence base for the emphasis in the 2011 English mental health strategy on promoting mental health and preventing mental illness. The work has also influenced discussion led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Parliament.
The Wellbeing Programme at the LSE's Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) was founded in 2001, based on the belief that subjective wellbeing should be the main criterion for making government policy. The research programme has had a widespread impact on many UK government policies, including policies for measuring national wellbeing; for Improving Access to Psychological Therapies in the NHS; for improving life skills in schools; and for apprenticeships. CEP research has also had significant impact worldwide, including on the OECD's measurement programme, the World Economic Forum, and the United Nations (UN) process towards making happiness one of the `sustainable development goals' after 2015.
There are very few evidence-based psychological interventions for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Of these, cognitive stimulation has the strongest evidence-base. Developed by Bob Woods (Bangor University) and Martin Orrell (UCL) in the late 1990s, the approach has proven effective in maintaining both cognitive function and quality of life. Recommended in guidelines around the world for use with people with mild to moderate dementia as the major evidence-based non-pharmacological intervention, it has assisted literally thousands of people with dementia and their carers globally to have a better quality of life both before and since 2008.