King's College London

Early, Brief Interventions to Reduce Daily Stress (EarlyBIRDS) is a collaboration between academics at King's College London, community organisers at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and four community youth organisations in Croydon and Lambeth (CHIPS, I AM IN ME, Juvenis and Reaching Higher).

The aims are to co-design, implement and evaluate a suite of Single Session Interventions (SSIs) for 16-19-year-olds with emerging signs of depression and/or anxiety. The interventions will provide rapid, evidence-based psychological support using a brief online format with guidance from trained youth workers.

Combining an efficient digital delivery platform with trusted relationships has the potential to reduce barriers to accessing psychological help, particularly for those living in challenging circumstances who might not otherwise receive an appropriate early intervention.

The project builds on the growing international evidence base for SSIs as a scalable approach to tackling youth mental health problems. SSIs provide immediate help for a specific issue without presuming follow-up or repeat use. Although SSIs have shown promising outcomes internationally, they have been relatively under-utilised in UK contexts.

SSIs may be particularly valuable because young people currently face significant gaps in services. Only one in five young people with mental health needs access specialist care, and those who do often experience long waits. At the same time, school-based mental health support may not be available to many 16–19-year-olds.

As a result, some young people in this age group are left with little more than self-directed resources, highlighting the need for timely, community-based support that could reduce the risk of difficulties escalating.

What is the project goal?

EarlyBIRDS will develop up to three SSIs incorporating distinct but complementary psychological ingredients for managing low mood, anxiety and contextually relevant stressors.

The SSIs will be promoted through youth workers, who will also support young people in applying newly learned psychological concepts and skills in everyday life. This approach will equip youth workers with practical, evidence-based tools while extending the reach of psychological support into community settings.

External partners

• Neil Balmer, Co-investigator, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
• Danielle Perlman, Project Manager, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
• Karlys Thompson, Site Lead, Reaching Higher
• Alex Cameron, Site Lead, CHIPS
• Marcellina Priadi, Site Lead, CHIPS
• Sasha Gay Smith, Site Lead, I AM IN ME
• Ebinehita Lyere, Site Co-Lead, Juvenis/Milk Honey Bees
• Winston Goode, Site Co-Lead, Juvenis

Young Person Advisory Group

EarlyBIRDS is supported by a Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG) that consists of eight young people (aged 16–19 years) from the four partner community organisations. The group meets regularly and provides feedback on the project’s plans and deliverables, ensuring that activities are feasible, appropriate and aligned with young people’s priorities and preferences.

As of August 2026, the YPAG has contributed feedback on potential SSI templates and the planning of co-design workshops. In addition, some YPAG members have taken on Youth Researcher roles to co-facilitate the workshops. These roles are intended to foster a safe and supportive environment, encouraging participants to share their views and experiences openly.

Preparatory work leading to this project

A series of community engagement events were organised in 2025 to explore the feasibility and acceptability of SSIs. A “Talking Circle” event brought together representatives from youth-focused community organisations and health and social care stakeholders in South London.

The event included relationship-building activities, a demonstration of SSIs, group feedback, and collaborative discussions about how SSIs could support positive outcomes for young people in community settings. This process led directly to the formation of a collaborative consortium of academics, NHS staff and community partners, which subsequently secured funding for EarlyBIRDS.

The EarlyBIRDS proposal was further shaped through consultation meetings with young people across Croydon and Lambeth. These sessions used activities and guided discussions to explore young people’s views on the potential benefits and limitations of SSIs, as well as their preferences for content and delivery.

Young people expressed a strong preference for a blended delivery model combining digital materials with brief relational support. They also highlighted the importance of ensuring that the digital SSI platform was creative, engaging and accessible.