What’s the project?
Many young people have problems with their mood, and most are not getting any help. Researchers from the NCMH, Cardiff Uni and the University of Glasgow are now looking at different ways in which to help young people online with their mood and well-being. The team have developed an online programme/app with young people and families/carers to support their mood and well-being (MoodHwb) and are looking for young people and their family/carers to try out the programme and share what they think of it.
The team are interested in how young people and parents/carers might use this, compared to using a digital information pack, along with any other help or supports they are getting (e.g. school counselling). It is important to get feedback so that the team know how to improve and test this programme further. If found to be effective, it could be made freely available in future.
Find out more
This project takes place online and requires participants to:
At the start of project:
- Fill in an online form on the study website (ncmh.info/digital-support-study/), talk to research team about the project and give consent to take part
- Fill in an online questionnaire about your mood and wellbeing, which takes around 25 minutes
- Two-thirds of young people will receive a link to the online programme and a third will receive the online information pack. A computer will decide which group you will go into.
Two months after starting:
- Fill in another online questionnaire
- If you used the programme, the team might ask whether you would like to meet for 30-60 minutes to discuss your feedback on it, online (e.g. Zoom), by phone or face-to-face.
- You can use the programme or pack as much as you like – on your own or with someone else such as a counsellor, parent, carer or friend. The team will monitor online how you are using it, such as how often you log in, but not what you enter into it, such as how you are feeling – for 6 months from the start of the project.
The study is open to young people and their parents/carers who live in Wales or Scotland
The research team are looking for:
- Young people who:
- are between 13 and 19 years of age
- have had problems with their mood and wellbeing (e.g. feeling down or low in mood)
- have regular access to the internet.
It does not matter whether they have other support (e.g. school counselling).
2. Their parents and carers
A £10 gift voucher will be sent to young people who take part at the start and again at the end of the study. Parents/carers will also receive vouchers. Another £10 voucher will be sent to those who are happy to have an optional meeting about how they found the programme. All young people will receive a certificate for taking part.
Please go to the study website for more information and to fill in a form: ncmh.info/help-with-research/digital-support-study/
You can also email us at [email protected]
October 2023.
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.
