Supporting young people’s mental health through Public Health interventions
Increasing mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and creating supportive environments for young people.
Quick-read summary
This research focuses on two public health initiatives: Mental Health Champions (MHCs) and Young Health Ambassadors (YHAs).
MHCs are practitioners who work in schools and youth settings; they aim to be the ‘go-to’ person for mental health support in these environments.
YHAs are a linked, parallel network of young people, who champion mental health and advocate for youth involvement. The YHA scheme was co-produced with young people across all stages of development and implementation.
MHCs provide support, resources, and guidance, while YHAs offer peer-to-peer mental health advocacy.
The study involved qualitative interviews with MHCs and YHAs to explore the benefits, challenges, and impact of these interventions.
Key findings indicate these roles can increase mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and create supportive environments for young people. Additionally, both MHCs and YHAs felt their involvement helped improve their own understanding of mental health and built their confidence in supporting others.
These findings suggest that such interventions can be effective in promoting mental health in youth settings, with implications for health and social care policy, especially in terms of providing low-cost, scalable support solutions for young people’s mental well-being.
Who is this evidence useful for?
This research is valuable for policymakers, mental health practitioners, school staff, local authorities, and community leaders. It is particularly relevant for those involved in designing or implementing mental health interventions for children and young people.
What is the issue?
Mental health problems amongst children and young people are increasing, with many not receiving timely interventions. This research addresses the need for early, low-level mental health support in youth settings to prevent long-term issues. The interventions were designed to be cost-effective and to be integrated within existing services.
Research summary
- This work aimed to identify and better understand factors involved in the implementation of the MHC and YHA interventions.
- Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 MHCs and 6 YHAs.
- Interviews explored the impact of these roles in supporting young people’s mental health.
- Data were analysed thematically to identify key benefits, barriers, and opportunities for improvement.
What did the research find?
- Increased mental health awareness: Both MHCs and YHAs raised awareness and reduced stigma in schools and youth settings.
- Improved support for young people: MHCs and YHAs provided essential support, creating safe spaces for young people to express mental health concerns.
- Capacity building: MHCs developed greater confidence and expertise, which enhanced their ability to deliver mental health support in their daily work.
- Challenges during COVID-19: The pandemic made it difficult to maintain regular contact and support, highlighting the need for adaptable intervention strategies.
Why is this important?
The findings demonstrate that integrating mental health support into youth settings can effectively raise awareness, reduce stigma, and provide early interventions. This approach could reduce the demand for more intensive mental health services, making it a cost-effective solution for local authorities.
How were people involved in this work?
Both MHCs and YHAs were actively involved in co-producing and delivering mental health support within these interventions. YHAs played a crucial role in peer advocacy, while MHCs integrated mental health practices into their daily work with young people. Their voices were key to the findings we produced in this paper.
Recommendations for policy and practice
- Expand the MHC and YHA roles across more schools and youth settings within the local authority area.
- Increase awareness and visibility of these interventions to ensure wider uptake.
- Provide ongoing support and training for MHCs and YHAs to maintain the effectiveness of these programmes.
- Explore the option of rolling out similar programmes in other areas.
What happens next?
The research team has already started to share these findings across the region with relevant stakeholders to promote the wider adoption of these interventions. This has included a Fuse Research Event in South Tyneside, and at the AskFuse@10 event in Durham.
Further research could explore the long-term impact of these roles post-pandemic, and in other areas.
Get in touch to find out more
Lead author: Liam Spencer, Research Associate, Newcastle University
X: @LiamPSpencer
Read the full research paper
Innovative local authority public health interventions to support the mental health of children and young people | Emerald Insight published September 2024
Funding
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research (SPHR) Public Health Practice Evaluation Scheme (PHPES), Grant Reference Number PD-SPH-2015.
Co-authors
Sam Redgate, Christina Hardy, Emma A. Adams, Bronia Arnott, Heather Brown, Anna Christie, Helen Harrison, Eileen Kaner, Claire Mawson, William McGovern, Judith Rankin, Ruth McGovern
Other partners involved in this work
South Tyneside Council