An agenda for future research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience

John Devaney, Luke Power, Paula Jacobs, Gavin Davidson, Rachel Hiller, Joanna Martin, Claire McCartan, Pearse Mccusker, Rosie McGuire, Alice Phillips, Autumn Roesch‐Marsh, Anita Thapar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Young people who are currently or were previously in state care have consistently been found to have much higher rates of mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties than the general youth population. While a number of high-quality reviews highlight what research has been undertaken in relation to the mental health of young people with care experience and the gaps in our knowledge and understanding, there is, until now, no consensus, so far as we aware, as to where our collective research efforts should be directed with this important group. Through a series of UK wide workshops, we undertook a consultative process to identify an agreed research agenda between those with lived experience of being in care (n = 15), practitioners, policy makers and researchers (n = 59), for future research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience, including those who are neurodiverse/have a neurodevelopmental difficulty. This consensus statement identified 21 foci within four broad categories: how we conceptualize mental health; under-studied populations; under-studied topics; and underused methodologies. We hope that those who commission, fund and undertake research will engage in this discussion about the future agenda for research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)960-970
Number of pages11
JournalChild & Family Social Work
Volume28
Issue number4
Early online date5 Mar 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Nov 2023

Data Availability Statement

Author elects to not share data

Funding

We are extremely grateful to all research participants, and in particular the 15 young people who gave their time to inform and enhance the study design and the robustness of the findings. We are also very grateful to Who Cares? Scotland and the Camphill School Aberdeen for facilitating the work with the individuals with care experience. This research was funded by the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom (grant reference MR/T046848/1).

FundersFunder number
Camphill School Aberdeen
Medical Research Council in the United KingdomMR/T046848/1

    Keywords

    • care experience
    • children
    • mental health
    • neurodiversity
    • out-of-home care
    • young people

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Health(social science)
    • Sociology and Political Science

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