Research Library

Social prescribing is a mechanism of connecting patients with non-medical forms of support within the community and has been shown to improve mental health and wellbeing in adult populations. In the last few years, it has been used in child and youth settings with promising results. Currently, pathways are being developed for social prescribing in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to support children and young people on treatment waiting lists. The Wellbeing While Waiting study will evaluate whether social prescribing benefits the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Authors: Fancourt, D., Burton. A, Bu. F, Deighton. J, Turner. R, Wright. J, Bradbury. A, Tibber. M, Talwar. S, & Hayes. D.

Evidence from low- and middle-income countries and developing nations on children and young people's mental health is generally missed in the international narrative. This scoping review aimed to add to the body of evidence by providing an overview of the available research from the English-speaking Caribbean region. Authors: Liverpool, S., Pereira, B., Pollard, M., Prescod, J., Trotman, C. (2021).

The primary challenges staff identified in supporting mental health and wellbeing varied across the timepoints. They include issues relating to logistics, the demand for support and the availability of support.

Why focus on children’s mental health at this time? What has the impact been on young people’s mental wellbeing? How can we best support children and young people’s mental health at this time?

This briefing draws on learning emerging from research led by the Evidence Based Practice Unit in collaboration with the Child Outcomes Research Consortium, The University of Manchester and Common Room. The Mercers’ Company funded the research. The Mercers’ Company is the Premier Livery Company of the City of London. Authors: Deighton, J., Stapley, E., Lereya, T., Burrell, K., Atkins, L. (2019).

The dual-factor approach to mental health was employed to explore levels and interrelations of protective factors associated with resilience in a dataset of 30,841 schoolchildren aged 11–14 in England. Authors: Jefferies, P., Fritz, J., Deighton, J., Ungar, M. (2023).

The aim of this review was to systematically identify the behavioural change techniques (BCTs) underpinning anorexia nervosa apps for young people. BCTs refer to the “common language” used by researchers to determine the triggers of behaviour change. Authors: Chiang, CP., Hayes, D., Panagiotopoulou, E. (2023).

The aim of this research was to explore young people’s experiences of therapeutic relationships with staff in secure settings, which is a central component of the Framework for Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS). Authors: Jacobs, J., D'souza, S., Lane, R., Cracknell, L., Singleton, R., Edbrooke-Childs, J. (2023).

Universal help-seeking interventions in schools to support young people’s mental health have been widely used, but we know little about their initial impact and longer term follow-up. This systematic literature review aims to explore the impact of these types of programmes across different help-seeking constructs. Authors: Hayes, D., Mansfield, R., Mason, C., Santos, J., Moore, A., Boehnke, J., Ashworth, E., Moltrecht, B., Humphrey, N., Stallard, P., Patalay, P., & Deighton, J. (2023).