Young people: Social change and transitions | ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health

ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health

Young People: Social change, transitions and mental health

Lead by: Craig Morgan and Helen Fisher

We know that, in high income countries, mental health problems amongst young people are rising, especially in adolescence. This includes anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide. Speculation has implied that it is a result of widespread social changes (social media, family set-up, education and work) which is transforming the social contexts of childhood, adolescence and early adulthood.

This programme works with young people themselves to explore the complex interrelationships, vulnerabilities and resiliencies associated with these factors, and track their mental health over time.

Our research focuses on how short-term fluctuations in mental health turn into long-term problems. This will allow us to determine the extent to which recent social transformations explain increased rates of youth mental health problems, and through what mechanisms.

Contact

If you would like more information about this programme, please do get in touch

csmh@kcl.ac.uk

Current projects

The Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study

Explores how environmental and genetic factors contribute to behaviours and mental health.

The REACH Study

Our study explores Resilience, Ethnicity & AdolesCent Mental Health, will help us understand how to…

Adolescent Violence and Mental Health

Exploring how experience of violence and neighbourhood disorder during adolescence impact mental…

The Schools Training to Enhance support for LGBT+ young People (STEP) Study

Our joint programme study aiming to explore and improve school support for LGBTQ+ youth.

Pandemic impacts on mental health of young people: the REACH study

REACH (Resilience, Ethnicity, and AdolesCent Mental Health) is an ongoing cohort study of adolescent mental health in two inner-city London boroughs, Southwark and Lambeth. A series of new reports from the study highlight the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people in south London.