We are a group of 16-25 year olds with lived experience of using mental health services, or caring for someone who has used these services. We meet every six to eight weeks and invite researchers or research teams who would like our advice and support to come and discuss their projects.
We were founded in January 2014 by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network: Mental Health, and are now hosted and funded by the Service User Research Enterprise (SURE) and NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. We were established in light of increasing awareness of the importance of service user involvement in research, and our main aims are to:
- Act as a point of contact for researchers seeking Patient and Carer Involvement and Engagement (PCIE) on studies relating to young people.
- Raise the profile of research into young people’s mental health.
- Promote the young service user/carer perspective in mental health research.
- Identify and share good practice in service user and carer involvement
- Collaborate with the wider NIHR family and charities on specific projects.
In addition to our meetings, we regularly present on our work at conferences nationwide. We have also participated in and hosted our own events, including a mental health awareness event held at The British Library, and the annual Youth Takeover Challenge.
“Being part of the Young Person’s Mental Health Advisory Group has definitely made me more aware of different mental health issues and how these can be dealt with. But it’s more than that, I feel like it’s enabled me to develop personally and I’m much more confident now.”
“I’ve learned of the complexities surrounding research methodology and been involved with the early stages of some exciting new research proposals.”
“The group has opened my eyes to the opportunities out there to get involved in research. Mental health is a part of my life, and it is reassuring to know that there are places that allow me to use my experiences to help others.”
Join the Young Person's Mental Health Advisory Group
If you are interested in joining the group and meet the criteria below, then please complete our application form and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.
Criteria:
- Aged 16-25
- Resident in the UK
- Have personal experience of using mental health services, and/or caring for somebody who has used these services
- Able to attend a four hour meeting every 6-8 weeks in Central London
Researchers
How researchers can access our expertise
We invite anybody conducting research related to young people’s mental health who would like advice and support on their proposal to attend one of our meetings. For more information about eligibility to present at one of our meetings and how to apply, please refer to our Flowchart and Guidelines for Researchers.
If you would like to come and present at one of our meetings, please specify when contacting us which of the dates below you would be interested in attending:
- 9th July 2022
- 3rd September 2022
- 22nd October 2022
- 10th December 2022
The group are familiar with research methodology, common mental health diagnoses and treatment approaches, and have provided feedback on a range of projects, including:
- A study of the prevalence of mental health difficulties in young people – Department of Health
- Predicting clinical outcomes using wearables – Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London
- Developing a new questionnaire for depression in young people – University of Reading
- Promoting physical activity among young people with mental health difficulties – University College London
- Developing a priority setting survey for digital technology in mental health research – NIHR MindTech
- Exploring the role of life satisfaction in family and peer relationships – Royal Holloway, University of London
- Setting up a hospital-based mental health drop-in service – Great Ormond Street Hospital
Researcher Feedback:
“Absolutely exceeded my expectations. Really excellent insights as well as so many actual concrete suggestions and ideas. It really blew me away.”
“The group was fantastic. It was very professionally run and having the minutes sent to us afterwards was hugely helpful.”
“I had a really productive discussion about several aspects of the study and it was very important to glean insights from young people who provided thoughtful and relevant comments.”
Researchers
How researchers can access our expertise
We invite anybody conducting research related to young people’s mental health who would like advice and support on their proposal to attend one of our meetings. For more information about eligibility to present at one of our meetings and how to apply, please refer to our Flowchart and Guidelines for Researchers.
If you would like to come and present at one of our meetings, please specify when contacting us which of the dates below you would be interested in attending:
- 9th July 2022
- 3rd September 2022
- 22nd October 2022
- 10th December 2022
The group are familiar with research methodology, common mental health diagnoses and treatment approaches, and have provided feedback on a range of projects, including:
- A study of the prevalence of mental health difficulties in young people – Department of Health
- Predicting clinical outcomes using wearables – Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London
- Developing a new questionnaire for depression in young people – University of Reading
- Promoting physical activity among young people with mental health difficulties – University College London
- Developing a priority setting survey for digital technology in mental health research – NIHR MindTech
- Exploring the role of life satisfaction in family and peer relationships – Royal Holloway, University of London
- Setting up a hospital-based mental health drop-in service – Great Ormond Street Hospital
Researcher Feedback:
“Absolutely exceeded my expectations. Really excellent insights as well as so many actual concrete suggestions and ideas. It really blew me away.”
“The group was fantastic. It was very professionally run and having the minutes sent to us afterwards was hugely helpful.”
“I had a really productive discussion about several aspects of the study and it was very important to glean insights from young people who provided thoughtful and relevant comments.”
Our Partners
NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre
Group lead
Georgie Hudson
Research Assistant
Contact us
If you have any questions about joining the group as a new member, or coming to present as a researcher, please email Georgie at