A new research and design programme
Our aim is to help local communities, young people and public service partnerships better understand and address the root causes (and wider determinants) of young people’s mental health.
We’re made up of leading academics, designers and practitioners, dedicated to working alongside communities in specific localities. Together, we will test and co-design evidence-based responses (in a ‘framework’) to these root causes, over the next four years.
Our model is formed of three key stages:
Early Discovery – here, we build strong and trusted relationships with local partners with an aim to understand what matters locally thus, forming communities around youth- and community-centred priorities
Deeper Discovery and Codesign – this stage, which we’re in currently, sees us codesign systemic responses to social determinants.
Prototyping, Implementation and Testing – This is where the learning is applied, integrating the codesigned responses with the local system, prototyping them and making iterative refinements along the way.
Where we work
The framework will be developed in two different communities to start with – Newham in East London, and rural Northern Devon. Through research, design and collaboration, we will discover opportunities for positive change in a way that supports young people’s mental health.
In the future, this framework can then be used on a wider-scale, in other communities across the UK.
Publications & Resources
Kailo: a systemic approach to addressing the social determinants of young people’s mental health and wellbeing at the local level
- Kailo Consortium | Wellcome Open Research
- Nov 2023 [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
How does Kailo work to improve adolescent mental health? A developmental realist evaluation protocol
- Kailo Consortium | Wellcome Open Research
- September 2024
A community-based approach to identifying and prioritising young people’s mental health needs in their local communities
- Dartington Service Design Lab & UCL
- Nov 2023
Developing programme theory for a place-based, systems change approach to adolescent mental health: A developmental realist evaluation
- Kailo Consortium | Plos Mental Health
- June 2025
Place-based approaches to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people: a rapid realist review
- Systematic Reviews
- May 2025
Changes in the adult consequences of adolescent mental ill-health: findings from the 1958 and 1970 British birth cohorts.
- Thompson EJ, Richards M, Ploubidis GB, Fonagy P, Patalay P. Psychol Med [Internet].
- 2021 [cited 2022 Jun 6]
Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2021 – wave 2 follow up to the 2017 survey
- NHS Digital
- 2021
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of co-designed, in-person, mental health interventions for reducing anxiety and depression symptoms
- Journal of Affective Disorders
- April 2024
Funding
This work is supported by the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP), which is funded by the British Heart Foundation, Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Health and Social Care Research and Development Division (Welsh Government), Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, Natural Environment Research Council, Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland), The Health Foundation and Wellcome.
