Adolescent health and mental wellbeing
Children and young people exposed to violence and bullying are at greater risk of psychiatric disorders and ill-health across the life-course, and addressing these risk factors is a major public health priority. Our team uses a closely inter-related programme of studies that uses the strongest epidemiological designs, systematic reviews , experimental evidence and evidence-based interventions to tackle the global issues at the interface between education and health.
Risk and resilience in developmental psychopathology
Exposure to abuse or neglect can have devastating and long-lasting impacts on child development, yet importantly, not all children who experience maltreatment are scarred in the same way or to an equal extent. Sources of resilience exist on multiple levels: individual characteristics including genetic influences and psychological coping styles; physical, economic and social capital offered to children and caregivers; psychosocial interventions by mental health, social welfare, and education providers; and government policies that prioritise or neglect maltreated children. Our interdisciplinary research brings together psychological, epidemiological and behavioural genetic approaches to consider pathways to resilience across the life course.
School-based anti-bullying interventions |
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Bullying is an extremely important public mental health risk. Around 1 in 5 primary school children report being bullied at least weekly. Children who are bullied are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, and are at heightened risk of mental health issues in adolescence and adulthood. We want to see whether the KiVa anti-bullying programme is effective at reducing bullying and improving wellbeing in pupils in Years 3-6 years in England and Wales. See our Stand Together Trial website for more details.