What’s the project?
This study is being run by researchers based at the University of Cambridge and is about understanding what support young people would find helpful while waiting for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Many young people in the UK wait a long time for CAMHS, and this can be really difficult, but there are often few support options available during this waiting period — and young people are not always asked what would actually help them.
By taking part, you will help researchers understand what currently helps, what doesn’t, and what kinds of support could make waiting for CAMHS easier for young people in the future. The findings will be used to inform further research and shared through an open-access publication and a summary written for participants.
This study has been reviewed and approved by the University of Cambridge Psychology Ethics Committee (PRE.2025.089).
Find out more
The research team will run 4–5 small group discussions with young people aged 13–17 who are currently on a CAMHS waiting list, or who have been on one in the past year. In these sessions, the team will talk about young people’s experiences of waiting, what support they have been offered or used, what was missing, and what kinds of support would make this time easier.
What young people tell the team will help them design a follow-up survey to understand which types of support matter most. The aim is to help services develop better, more youth-focused support for young people while they are waiting for CAMHS.
Young people will take part as research participants by sharing their views and experiences. Everyone who takes part will receive a clear, easy-to-read summary of the findings showing how their contributions helped shape the research.
To take part, they must:
- Be aged 13–17
- Be based in the UK
- Have experience of being on a CAMHS waiting list within the past 12 months
- Feel comfortable talking about your experiences in a group
- Have access to a stable internet connection and a private space to join an online session
- £30 shopping voucher as a thank-you for taking part
- A supportive and respectful research environment
- A plain-language summary of the study findings once the research is complete
- Clear information about what to expect before you take part
If you are interested in this opportunity, please email [email protected] with brief answers to the following questions:
- What is your first name?
- What is your surname?
- What is your date of birth? (DD/MM/YYYY)
- Are you based in the UK?
- Yes
- No
- Why are you interested in this opportunity? (Please tell us a little about what made you want to take part.)
- Have you ever been on a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting list?
- Yes, I am currently on a waiting list
- Yes, I have been on a waiting list in the past 12 months
- No
- Please give details of any relevant experience you feel comfortable sharing. (For example, your experience of waiting for support, or anything else you think is important for us to know.)
- Sometimes after talking about topics like mental health, people feel they need a little extra support or someone to chat to. What support do you currently have in place? (For example: supportive friends or family, school staff, your GP, youth workers, or mental health charities.)
- Is there anything the University of Cambridge research team could do to support you or make taking part easier? (This could include practical adjustments or anything that would help you feel more comfortable.)
- How did you hear about this opportunity?
You are welcome to send your responses in audio or video format if preferred. If you need any help completing your expression of interest, you can get in touch with our research team at [email protected]
Please submit your expression of interest by midday on Friday 20th March 2026. Submitting as early as possible helps us with scheduling.
Please note that the McPin Foundation regularly promotes opportunities on behalf of other institutions; we are not responsible for the continuation or contents of further correspondence with any project partners where we are not listed as the project main point of contact.
