What’s the project?
This project is part of a research review funded by the Wellcome Trust, a global health charity. Anna McLaughlin and her team from the Wellcome Trust are looking at studies to understand how and why different mental health treatments help children and young people.
The team are looking for young people with experience of any of the following conditions (no formal diagnosis required):
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
You’ll be asked about your experience getting support for your mental health symptoms. You will also be shown some early findings from the review, and ask if they match your experience or if you think anything important has been left out.
Your input will help make sure this research is based on real experiences and that future funding goes to the areas that matter most to young people.
Find out more
The research team are inviting young people to take part in a one-off, small group discussion online. The session will last around 60 minutes.
In the session, you’ll be asked things like:
- What types of mental health support or services you’ve tried, and what you think helped (or didn’t)
- What you think is missing in current support for young people
- What kind of mental health research you think should be funded in the future
- We’ll also share some early findings from our review and ask whether they reflect your own experience, or if anything important has been left out.
They are looking for around 8–12 young people per group, and sessions will take place in late July 2025.
The research team are looking for young people who:
- Are aged 12–25 (young people under 18 will need permission from a parent or caregiver to take part)
- Have personal experience of anxiety, depression, OCD, or PTSD (no formal diagnosis needed)
- Are able to take part in a 60-minute discussion online
- Have access to a stable internet connection
- Are interested in sharing your voice and improving mental health research and support for young people
- £75 payment for your time (1-hour online focus group and two hours to prepare and review materials)
- Clear information in advance about what we’ll cover, including any materials and questions to help you prepare
- A friendly contact person you can ask questions to before or after the session
- Updates after the session, so you know how your input helped shape the final report
- If you’d like to include your involvement in this project on your CV, school, or university application, we’re happy to provide a reference or confirmation of participation.
Your name and personal details will be kept private. Any input you provide will be shared anonymously or using a pseudonym in the final report. Your personal information will be stored securely and only accessed by the research team.
If you’re interested in this opportunity, please follow this link to submit a form with brief answers to the following questions:
- What is your name?
- What is your date of birth?
- If you are under 18, please confirm if you have permission from your parent or caregiver to take part
- Are you based in the UK?
- What is your ethnicity? We ask this to ensure we can have a diverse mix of young people in each group.
- Why are you interested in this specific opportunity?
- Which condition/s do you have experience with (no formal diagnosis required)?a. Anxietyb. Depression
c. PTSD
d. OCD
- 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 (e.g. supportive friends, family, health professionals or mental health charities)? Is there anything we could do to support you or make your involvement experience better
- How did you hear about this opportunity?
Monday 7th July 2025
Due to the high number of applications we might receive, it’s possible that not everyone who applies will be selected this time, especially if we receive more interest than expected. We’ll let everyone know the outcome by Wednesday, 9th July.
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.
