TRIUMPH Network Resources

Reports and briefing papers

Report: Priority Areas for Research to Improve Youth Public Mental Health

We have worked with young people, researchers, policymakers and practitioners to identify priority areas for future research into youth mental public health within the three TRIUMPH research themes: Social Connections and Relationships, Schools and Other Education Setting and Key Groups of young people at risk of poor mental health.

Illustration of workshop discussions

Report: What does a mentally healthy society look like for young people?

In October 2022 the TRIUMPH Network hosted a workshop with 60 young people aged 12–25 from across the UK and asked them the question “What does a mentally health society look like for young people?”. Young people worked in groups and were asked to envisage this society with questions like what would it look like, how would it make them feel, and what would it enable them to do?  Through the discussions young people identified five priority areas that would have the biggest positive impact on their mental health; these priorities are presented in this report.

Example jargon words

Briefing paper: Why we need to talk about ‘jargon’ in mental health research

Based on an activity at the TRIUMPH Fest 2022, this briefing paper discusses the importance of language and terminology when speaking about mental health. 

Funding icon

Briefing paper: Involving young people in research funding decision-making

Despite a wealth of funding going into research to support young people’s mental health and an
increased focus from funders on participatory research, young people’s participation in decisions
around research funding is still relatively uncommon. This briefing paper describes the process and provides feedback from young people and adult reviewers involved in the TRIUMPH funding application review process.

A drawing of four people holding each other with their arms together

Briefing paper: Young people’s participation in TRIUMPH

TRIUMPH believe that young people have experiences, ideas and skills that can strengthen conversations about how to improve youth public mental health. This briefing paper describes how young people are involved in the strategic development of the network and in supporting wider youth participation in the network’s activities. 

Briefing paper: Mental health messages

In October 2022 the TRIUMPH Network hosted a youth-led conference on mental health, bringing together over 50 young researchers and activists aged 14-25 to share their work and discuss possibilities for change. One activity at the event asked attendees to tell us the key messages that need to be shared with different audiences about youth mental health. This paper centres the attendees’ words and suggests key themes emerging from these messages.

Resources

Video: The TRIUMPH Youth Advisory Group’s top tips on doing co-production with young people

Video: The TRIUMPH Youth Advisory Group’s key challenges of doing co-production with young people

Photo of adult and child with their mental health messages

Public engagement activity: #MentalHealthMessages

We’ve developed an easy activity to encourage conversations between young people and adults about youth mental health. Download this pack with facilitator guide and posters to set up the activity yourself and start sharing your #MentalHealthMessages.

Workshop discussion templates

Looking to start a conversation with young people of different stakeholder groups about mental health? Use these templates/facilitator guide from our priority-setting workshops as a starting point.

Research highlights

Podcasts:

Mental Health and Care-Experienced Children and Young People: A partnership for change

This podcast was recorded by Thomas and Casey, two care-experienced young people who talk openly about the subject of mental health.

How can we work together to prevent suicide?

TRIUMPH Network Co-Investigator Professor Rory O’Connor discusses the circumstances that might cause someone to take their own life, and his work at the Suicidal Behaviour Research Lab to try and predict those who are most at risk.

Research into young people’s mental health in Wales

TRIUMPH Youth Advisory Group member Elina Thomas-Jones interviews Prof Simon Murphy and Prof Steve Collinshaw about their views on young people’s mental health, their role in TRIUMPH and how the new Centre for Adolescent Mental Health in Cardiff will lead new research in this field.

Videos:

Recording of TRIUMPH’s webinar, ‘Understanding and Preventing Youth Suicide, transdisciplinary perspectives‘, held online on 16 September 2021. This webinar features an engaging discussion from a range of invited guests from different disciplines, including academics Rory O’Connor, Siobhan O’Neill and Hazel Marzetti and Jenny Ferguson (delivery lead on children and young people, for the Scottish National Suicide Prevention Delivery and Action plan) and Childline team manager, Lauren Burke. Young people from TRIUMPH’s Youth Advisory Group are also in attendance.

Yes yes yes – good sexual communication and mutual consent

This video looks at the process of co-producing research with young people aged 16-19 years about sexual consent. Researchers talked to a total of 58 young people in Scotland across different genders and sexualities. Find out more in this podcast. To read the full research report please contact Jill.Wilson@ggc.scot.nhs. 

Research on suicidal thoughts and attempts in LGBTQ+ young people in Scotland

PhD researcher, Hazel Marzetti, talks about her research on the contributing factors towards suicidal thoughts and attempts of LGBTQ+ young people in Scotland. Contact: Hazel.Marzetti@ed.ac.uk for more information on her work.

Feeling well, feeling cared for

This video looks at the development of training for professionals working with care-experienced young people. Members of staff from Who Cares? Scotland, academics and care-experienced young people discuss the link between care experience and mental health that informed the training. Read more about the process behind developing this training.

Resources for Early Career Researchers about career development 

Keynote speeches from the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Early Career Researchers’ Forum that took place on 23 & 24 September 2021.

Opening by Dr Jo Inchley, Director of TRIUMPH network and Keynote 1 from Professor Rory O’Connor, University of Glasgow.

Keynote 3 Professor Kay Tisdall, University of Edinburgh.

Keynote 2 Julie Cameron from the Mental Health Foundation.

Panel discussion with members of TRIUMPH’S Youth Advisory Group.

Presentations on getting funding on mental health research as an early-career researcher from a #MentalHealthResearchMatters event hosted in 2021.

Ms Emily Lloyd, on behalf of the Emerging Minds Network.

Dr Ellie Pearce, on behalf of the Loneliness in Mental Health Network.

Dr Sian Oram, on behalf of the Violence, Abuse and Mental Health Research Network.