Catalyst Seminar in Children and Young People’s Mental Health

Children and young people’s mental health is an area of considerable societal need and has been the focus of a number of recent research council and charity funding initiatives. It is also one of the UCL Mental Health Research Strategy priority areas.

UCL has substantial research strengths, across multiple domains, that can and should be at the forefront of leading innovative, cross-disciplinary work in this area.

The UCL Catalyst seminar series is intended to spark fresh thinking and debate, featuring cutting-edge UCL research relevant for children and young people’s mental health and facilitating new connections between scientists working in different disciplines.

Professor Leslie Gutman's abstract:

Recent evidence shows an increase in reported mental health problems for young people aged 16 to 25 particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. In the UK, however, many young people wait for mental health support so long that their condition worsens. Digital mental health interventions (DMHI) are a viable option to bridge the mental health service gap for young people, especially those that are delivered by counsellors, volunteers, or peers with lived experience. Such support is often free, anonymous, and many times, around the clock. However, effectiveness depends on their delivery and the engagement of young people. In this presentation, I will discuss how the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework can be applied to improve implementation and engagement behaviours in DMHI for CYPMH and provide examples from studies focusing on web-based counselling, helpline support, peer chat groups and discussion forums. I will also show how these findings have been implemented to improve DMHI through external engagement and co-design with key stakeholders and young people.

Professor Angel Chater's abstract:

It is estimated that approximately 41,000 children and young people experience the death of a parent each year. Grief responses, such as anxiety and depression, can follow. Physical activity benefits physical and mental health and has the potential to support grief outcomes. This talk will discuss experiences of parental bereavement during childhood and adolescence and the role of physical activity. Research shows that while parental bereavement can be life-changing, physical activity can be therapeutic, and provide an emotional outlet and social support. Furthermore, it can build confidence, help people to find themselves following parental bereavement and improves health and wellbeing.