Academics from York to support the University of Bradford in developing mental health research in children and young people
Academics from the University of York will be supporting the University of Bradford to enhance their capacity to conduct mental health research.
This work will focus on developing partnerships with communities, faith groups, schools and the NHS to investigate the reasons for poor mental health in young people in Bradford and identify priorities for change.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded the team a £2.5m “Mental Health Research Leadership Award”. This funds two senior academic posts at the University of Bradford. With support from the York-based academics, the new researchers at Bradford will develop a programme of mental health research. This will have a particular focus on the challenges that some young people in the Bradford district face and aims to develop leadership and further research expertise in the area of children and young people’s mental health.
Poor mental health is increasingly common in the Bradford district, with a third of its young people living in poverty.
The University of York has an established track record of achievement of collaborative research in the field of young people’s mental health. For example, this includes work around the use of ‘Behavioural Activation’ (BA) therapy in young people with depression, as well as work contributing to the development of youth-relevant systematic reviews of mental health research through the Youth Mental Health Evidence Synthesis Hub (Y-MHESH).
Project lead, for the University of York and Hull York Medical School, Professor Paul Tiffin said: “We are delighted to be supporting the University of Bradford to develop their capacity to deliver research in this field. This further strengthens our existing relationship with the University of Bradford and Bradford Institute of Health Research and is a wonderful opportunity to develop much needed youth mental health research in the region.”
Co-programme lead Dr Paul Sullivan from the University of Bradford said: “This is a significant opportunity to understand the factors underpinning the development of mental health challenges allowing us to prioritise preventative intervention where it is most needed. Ultimately the goal is to reduce inequalities and improve the life chances of our children and young people".
The University of Bradford will establish a research centre of excellence in preventative approaches to early life risk factors for mental health challenges. The programme of work will also be supported by the Bradford Institute of Health Research.
The Mental Health Leaders Award project will aim to develop a three-pronged approach that will include:
- Evidence synthesis –review the existing evidence relating to risk factors for mental health challenges and identify areas of best practice.
- Systems mapping – map the existing services and pathways in the district addressing mental health in children and young people, to understand the local landscape of provision.
- Data insights – analyse existing data (eg Born in Bradford, Connected Bradford) to help identify population level risk factors.
The programme will involve working with numerous organisations, including the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Born in Bradford, Bradford Council for Mosques, Bradford Council, youth mental health charities and Bradford 2025.
This award follows the recent launch of the Born in Bradford Centre for Social Change at York. The new centre established at the University of York will support the work of the renowned Born in Bradford research programme, which seeks to understand what keeps families happy and healthy.