Involving youth mental health experiences in big data research: the impact of Covid-19 on UK youth

Introduction

Covid-19 impacted young people’s mental health across the globe in new ways through school closures within lockdowns measures, and the surfacing of known stressors such as health anxiety, financial uncertainty in households, and domestic violence. The full extent of the impact will not be known for some time, but using routinely collected data to map the use of mental health diagnoses and treatment is important for long term planning. We joined a study (called CHOOSE) examining the impact of Covid-19 by exploring data on youth mental health diagnosis, prescriptions and referrals from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) led by researchers at Universities of Manchester, Keele and Exeter.

Method

Youth involvement in this study was led by the McPin Foundation. A youth advisory group was formed with 8 members. A parent/carer advisory group was also formed with 5 members. These groups met 6 times over the project with ad hoc work and written tasks in between meetings. The group provided a voice of lived experience throughout the project. The youth advisory board advised on the synthesis of research findings, dissemination and put forward key recommendations to clinicians and other health social care services. The CHOOSE study was picked up by the UK media and featured on the radio and in newspapers providing an impact case study to dissect.  

Results and discussion

In this presentation we will explore first hand lived experiences of working as a youth advisor on CHOOSE. We will reflect upon the role as described in adverts and in practice, skills used in the role, support and training required and opportunities for further development. We will also focus on the synthesis process in an epidemiology study and the role of youth voice in ‘big data’ studies and dissemination including recommendations for other studies