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 [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]

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  • Kailo Consortium
  • Nov 2023

A community-based approach to identifying and prioritising young people’s mental health needs in their local communities

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  • Dartington Service Design Lab & UCL
  • Nov 2023

Changes in the adult consequences of adolescent mental ill-health: findings from the 1958 and 1970 British birth cohorts.

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  • 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

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  • NHS Digital

  • 2021

An integrated approach to evidence for those working to improve outcomes for children and young people

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  • Dartington Service Design Lab
  • Feb 2022

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.

Our core partnership

Bio

Professor Peter Fonagy

Research Co-Director

University College London
Bio

Professor Tim Hobbs

Research Co-Director

Dartington Service Design Lab
Bio

Professor Vashti Berry

Oversight and Coordination of Evaluation

University of Exeter
Thomas Booker, UCL Bio

Thomas Booker

Programme/ Consortium Manager

University College London
Bio

Professor Martin Pitt

Data and Systems Oversight

University of Exeter
Bio

Professor Steve Pilling

Oversight and Coordination of Evaluation

University College London
Bio

Ediane Santana De Lima

Kailo Oversight and Coordination

Dartington Service Design Lab
Bio

Professor Jess Deighton

Academic Evidence Oversight

Anna Freud Centre
Julian Edbrooke-Childs Bio

Professor Julian Edbrooke-Childs

Academic Evidence Oversight

University College London
Bio

Dr Dickon Bevington

Strategic Partnership

Anna Freud Centre
Peter Fuggle, AFNCCF Bio

Dr Peter Fuggle

Strategic Partnership

Anna Freud Centre
Jen Shand, UCL Bio

Dr Jen Shand

Strategic Partnership

UCL Partners
Abigail Thompson Bio

Dr Abigail Thompson

Evidence Reviews Lead

Anna Freud Centre
Bio

Dr Laura Kennedy

Kailo Research Fellow at UCL

University College London
Anna March Bio

Dr Anna March

Kailo Research Fellow at Exeter University

University of Exeter
Cristina Preece - Dartington Bio

Cristina Preece

Researcher

Dartington Service Design Lab
Dr Kate Allen Bio

Dr Kate Allen

Kailo Research Fellow at Exeter University

University of Exeter
Bio

Tamsin Greene Barker

PhD student

University of Oxford
Rachael Stemp Bio

Rachael Stemp

Participation in Research Officer

Anna Freud Centre