What do we know about mental health?
This resource summarises recent research evidence about young people's mental health in a format accessible to secondary school students and college students. It also signposts to sources of support for those looking for help or self-care strategies.
How I cope: a young person's guide
How I cope presents strategies and sources of support that young people use in difficult times. These strategies have been described by over 70 young people as part of the HeadStart research project and were developed for this guide by the HeadStart National Young People’s Group. The guide includes a poster and a series of short animations.
The development of this guide was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme.
On My Mind
On My Mind is an online resource from the Anna Freud Centre that aims to empower young people to make informed choices about their mental health and wellbeing. It contains information, advice and resources, including signposting to sources of support in times of crisis and tools to help young people manage their own wellbeing. On My Mind was co-produced by young people.
Visit On My Mind.
Learning from HeadStart: the mental health and wellbeing of boys and girls aged 11-14
This booklet is about our research on the mental health and wellbeing of girls and boys, aged 11–14. We wanted to find out more about changes to young people’s experiences of mental health problems as they get older, and about the differences between the mental health and wellbeing of boys and girls.
What young people in HeadStart told us about having difficulties and getting support
We wanted to find out whether young people’s experiences of difficulties in their lives, and the support they received to cope with these difficulties, had changed during the first two years of a programme called HeadStart.
We spoke to 78 young people at two separate times. We first spoke to them in 2017/18, and we interviewed the same young people again in 2018/19. Doing this meant that we could see what may have changed for these young people between the first and second time we interviewed them.
What young people in HeadStart told us about handling problems and difficult situations
We wanted to find out how young people handle problems and difficult situations in their lives. We spoke to 63 young people who had either received support from HeadStart, or could receive HeadStart support in the future. We asked them about things like their feelings and emotions, their family and friends, and their school and home lives.