Project Details

University of Warwick icon

Supervisor

Dr Carla Toro

Project area or title

Mental Health and Transition during Adolescence

Description

Transition during adolescence elevates risk to the development of mental health disorders and can exacerbate symptoms for individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions. The ambition for this project is to design and conduct a mixed-methods longitudinal study to track the journey of adolescents over a 2- to 3- year period stemming from year 12 and during transition to university or other training or employment and measure mental health, stress and resilience during this major life event. Qualitative approaches will inform the design and add further depth to findings from the quantitative element of the study. We will draw on existing links the supervisors have with secondary schools across the West Midlands to facilitate recruitment to the study. The supervisors would offer their expertise in youth mental health, neuroscience and psychology to guide the design of the study but would also welcome the candidate to explore their interests in social, psychological, neurobiological, demographic and clinical predictors of stress, resilience and mental health during emerging adulthood. Co-creation of the study design and co-interpretation of the findings with young people will be encouraged. The study would fill a gap in longitudinal studies and causal inference in youth mental health. The findings and recommendations would be disseminated to decision-makers at schools, universities, workplaces and health services to inform and update policy and practice. 

Theme

Children, Young People & Perinatal Mental Health

University

University of Warwick

Specific Project Eligibility

https://warwick.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/phd-warwick-medical-school/