Covid-19 and Young People’s Mental Health: Research Articles and Reports

The Catalogue of Mental Health Measures

The catalogue of Mental Health Measures is a platform designed to provide easy access to information about the mental health measures included in British cohort and longitudinal studies.

Covid-19 Conversations

Health researchers at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow have launched a new online tool which explores how the COVID-19 response has influenced health and wellbeing across society. The main aim of the tool is to start conversations around COVID-19 and inequalities, and to help people who don’t have a background in public health to explore the wider impacts of COVID-19. Visit the tool at gla.ac.uk/covid19tool.

Co RAY Covid -19 response: Mental Health Resources for and by Young People
The Co-RAY project has identified four key priority areas, which will be the focus of resource production during the first half of 2021: a) managing change and uncertainty b) feeling bored, flat and unmotivated c) feeling lonely, isolated and disconnected d) encouraging young people to seek help if they are struggling with their mental health. In collaboration with research and clinical experts, Co RAY has produced briefings which provide evidence-informed messages on how to support young people with these four key issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, and beyond. Download briefings.
Co-RAY Research Evidence Synthesis
A summary of evidence on the effects of the first part of the pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 11-16 years old.
Teenagers Experience of Life in Lockdown (TELL), July 2020

TELL is a research project led by The University of Manchester and Liverpool John Moores University which looks at life in lockdown for teenagers aged 16-19 in the UK. More than 100 young people shared a written account of their experiences of lockdown, what lockdown looked like for them, what it felt like, and how they managed it. Findings will be used to develop resources for young people, parents/carers, and mental health and wellbeing professionals. Video based on findings.

Rights of children overlooked during COVID-19 emergency

The Observatory of Children’s Human Rights Scotland was commissioned to produce the Independent Children’s Rights Impact Assessment, which assembled evidence and drew on the experience of experts to provide a thorough analysis of how emergency laws and policies had affected children’s human rights in Scotland.

The report covers nine themes including mental health, education, poverty and children in detention.

#MoreThanACondition

With funding secured from the National Lottery Awards for All scheme the Mental Health Foundation brought together a youth panel of young volunteers living with long term health conditions, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The panel developed a suite of campaign materials to show what life has been like for young people with a long term health condition.

Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families

Emerging evidence Series: Coronavirus and children and young people’s mental health. The series looks at:
What the key mental health challenges are for children and young people during the coronavirus pandemic?
What the key mental health challenges are for disproportionately affected groups?
What might help children and young people to manage these challenges?

Staying Connected

The Scottish Recovery Network has a set of resources drawn from a series of twelve online conversation cafes sharing insights and inspiration from people across Scotland on staying well during and after COVID-19 lockdown.

Discussions in the conversation cafés highlighted that many people have been able to draw on their experiences of mental health crisis and recovery to support their wellbeing during this challenging time. This emphasises the need to draw on all expertise, including lived experience in our communities as we consider how best to support good mental health and wellbeing across our society now and in the future.

Covid-19 Social Study

The Covid-19 Social Study is a panel study of the psychological and social experiences of adults in the UK during the outbreak of coronavirus run by University College London. Over 80,000 people are currently participating in the study, completing weekly online surveys about their experiences and behaviours. Survey findings are published in regular reports.

Co-SPACE Study

The Co-SPACE study aims to understand how families with school-age children are coping with the challenges of Covid-19. The study has published regular reports on their findings throughout the pandemic.

TeenCovidLife

A report on the TeenCovidLife Survey looks at the health and well-being of young people in lockdown. 5,548 Scottish young people aged 12 ­- 17 years old completed the first TeenCovidLife Survey with 98% of participants identifying themselves as high school pupils.

Mental Health and Covid-19: In Our Own Words

Barnardo’s worked with a group of 10 young people to produce a new report Mental Health and Covid-19: In Our Own Words. The report brings together insights gathered by young people – who surveyed nearly 150 children and young people – and by Barnardo’s through a national survey of over 100 children and young people they support, as well as 4,000 children and young people through a YouGov survey from the Big Conversation.

Impact of Coronavirus on young people with mental health needs

Results of two surveys conducted by Young Minds at the start of lockdown and in Summer as the Government announced measures to ease restrictions investigating the mental health impact of Coronavirus on young people with mental health needs. Findings reveal the pressure that the crisis has put on young people. many of whom are struggling to access the right support.

The divergence of mental health experiences during the pandemic

A report from the Mental Health Foundation highlights the divergence in people’s experiences of Covid-19 depending on their social and/or economic context in society. The report highlights young people as one of groups whose mental health is most likely to have been negatively affected.

My Health, Our Future – At Home

Health Watch Suffolk explored the mental health and emotional wellbeing of 2,572 children, young people, parents/carers and education staff during the coronavirus lockdown, and their feelings about returning to school.

Take the temperature: A National Youth Trends report

Take the Temperature is a reactive research strand of the National Youth Trends research produced with young people age 14-25 across the UK, looking into how COVID-19 has affected their day to day, their attitudes towards social responsibility and their feelings on UK power dynamics and structures.

Girlguiding Research Briefing, May 2020

Research briefing from Girlguiding, the UK’s leading charity for girls and young women, based on a survey of 7,000 members revealing how girls and young women aged 4-18 in the UK are coping with the drastic changes to their daily lives during the Covid-19 pandemic

Covid-19 Psychological Research Consortium: Research Findings for Young People

Initial research findings on the impact of COVID-19 on the well-being of 2,002 young people age 13-24 from across the UK, including their physical health, mental health, and family relationships.

Young People in Lockdown, May 2020

Findings from a survey of 1,022 16-25 year olds led by the Princes Trust and YouGov reveal the extent to which young people are concerned about their mental health and wellbeing and future employment prospects.

The experience of the Coronavirus lockdown in low-income areas of England and Wales

During April and May 2020, 270 community organisations that are based in the most deprived areas of England and Wales, and 188 young people who live in those neighbourhoods, shared their experiences, worries and opinions about life during and after the Covid lockdown in this report.

Coronavirus and Me, Wales

The ‘Coronavirus and Me’ consultation was launched in May 2020 to find out about the experiences of children and young people in Wales. The consultation captured information about the lives of over 23,700 children between the ages of 3–18, and ran for a two-week period during which restrictions to keep communities in Wales safe had been in place for two months. The survey was led between the Welsh Government, The Children’s Commissioner’s Officer for Wales, The Welsh Youth Parliament and Children in Wales.

You-COPE: Study Report

You-COPE seeks to understand more about how young people aged 16-24 in the UK are being impacted by the current Coronavirus pandemic. It is a rapid study that comprises an initial web-based 20 minute survey, followed by subsequent on-line surveys every two weeks, asking questions about life, health and wellbeing, and daily activities. This briefing presents results from the first 1,274 respondents to the main initial survey.

Oxford ARC study: Achieving Resilience during Covid-19

The Oxford ARC study investigates resilience and how adolescents age 13-18 and their parents/carers are coping with social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Children and the Coronavirus, Scotland

The Scottish Children’s Parliament have conducted a national wellbeing survey tracking the experience of children aged 8-14  during the pandemic since April 2020.

Youth in Lockdown (April-June 2020)

Led by the Essex Council for Voluntary Youth Services, this project was aimed at young people from voluntary youth settings who were currently engaging with their groups via Zoom or other social media platforms to learn how they were feeling about the pandemic, and what could be done to help them cope.

LockdownLowdown – What young people in Scotland are thinking about Covid-19

A survey of 2,500 young people in Scotland gives a clear picture of the impact Covid-19 is having on young people across Scotland. LockdownLowdown, commissioned by Scottish Youth Parliament, YouthLink Scotland and Young Scot, found that young people are worrying most about education, mental wellbeing, and financial support during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Supporting ‘off-radar’ children and young people who are at risk of violence/abuse in their household

A new survivor-led report coordinated by Survivors’ Voices,  with the Violence, Abuse and Mental Health Network and The McPin Foundation that contains relevant possible actions to support children who are ‘off-radar’ (unknown to any statutory services) during and post pandemic ‘lockdown’ periods.