Updated on 17 April 2026
We are a charity that uses digital innovation, data-driven analysis and the experience of clinical experts to improve the mental health of the UK population through the provision of digital tools, support and resources. We provide early intervention, preventative care, and crisis support through our digital services. Shout is the UK’s only free, 24/7 text message support service, while The Mix offers free, anonymous online advice on key issues affecting young people. We also work to empower young people as service co-creators and volunteers, equipping them with mental health skills they can apply in their communities and workplaces.
As the winner of the 2025 Statistical Excellence Award for Trustworthiness, Quality and Value, we are committed to the highest statistical standards. While we do not produce official statistics, we voluntarily apply the 10 Principles of the Code of Practice (Edition 3.0) to ensure our insights remain trustworthy, of high quality, and of public value. The Code of Practice for Statistics is a set of standards produced by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), which provides independent regulation of all official statistics produced in the UK.
Pillar 1: Trustworthiness
Confidence in the people and organisations that produce statistics and data.
- Principle 1: Show integrity. We handle and use data with honesty and integrity, ensuring our analyses are free from commercial, political, or personal bias. MHI maintains independent control over all published insights.
- Principle 2: Lead responsibly. We foster a culture of collaborative analytical leadership where our Director of Data Insights provides professional direction for all research and data projects. By feeding into every aspect of our work, they ensure that our team applies strong analytical skills and remains accountable for the integrity and impact of our mental health insights.
- Principle 3: Be transparent. While we have historically released reports on a timely basis, we plan to implement a 12-month release calendar to pre-announce publication dates, where possible. This move ensures we meet the "Orderly Release" standard, promoting public confidence that our data timing is not influenced by external events. As a first step, we plan to implement this as part of our recent Wellcome-Trust funded project to create a UK-wide Data and Evidence network, which aims to make data and evidence across the charity sector and government more accessible.
- Principle 4: Manage data responsibly. We maintain an ISO 27001-certified environment with robust encryption and access controls. All texter data is effectively anonymised, and we adhere strictly to GDPR and ethical standards in all data-linking projects, including our recent merger with The Mix.
Pillar 2: Quality
Data and methods that produce assured statistics.
- Principle 5: Prioritise quality. We cultivate a "Quality Culture" using tools like Jira, GitHub, and Confluence to maintain a transparent audit trail of all analytical decisions. Additionally, our Data Insight team holds regular meetings to discuss analytical plans and preliminary results with the view of improving our approaches. We also continuously improve our models, such as our generative AI conversation simulator, through rigorous testing and feedback.
- Principle 6: Be rigorous. We use the best available methods, including Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML), employed by our team of experienced data and ML professionals. We also regularly work with institutions like Imperial College London to ensure our reports meet peer-review standards.
- Principle 7: Be open about quality. We acknowledge that large scale data analytics have inherent limitations. To align with Edition 3.0, we are moving beyond general limitation statements to include dedicated 'Quality and Methods' sections in future reports co-created with Imperial College London. These will explicitly quantify uncertainty and address potential selection biases (e.g., demographic skews in text-based support) to help users interpret our findings accurately.
Pillar 3: Value
Statistics that support society’s needs for information.
- Principle 8: Be relevant. Our work is motivated by providing actionable evidence for policy makers including the DHSC, NHS leaders, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. We use lived experience co-design (e.g., the Mental Health Voice Group) to ensure our outputs address the real-world needs of those in and out of work.
- Principle 9: Be clear. We translate our research into meaningful insights through accessible reports (e.g. Working Well and Help is Just a Text Away), social media, and blog posts supported by suitable data visualisations.
- Principle 10: Be accessible. We ensure our statistics are equally available to all through diverse channels, including our website, social media, and in-person events. We are working to provide more granular data where possible, meeting the needs of specialised users while maintaining strict privacy standards.
Declaration of Voluntary Compliance: Mental Health Innovations confirms its ongoing commitment to the TQV framework as a tool for public good. We will continue to review and update this statement annually to reflect our progress in embedding these principles.