Youth Resilience Unit

The overall aim of the different studies is focused on how young people use resources to deal with mental health. The definition of ‘young people’ varies according to study. The aspects of mental health targeted are anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide.

Our researchers work in close collaboration with a wide variety of community partners, such as schools and charities. Forging links and building trust with often under-resourced local organisations has been challenging but also an important learning experience. We now understand the importance of consulting with local partners to anticipate their needs and the needs of the participants we recruit with their help, and of design research for mutual benefit.

YRU studies exemplify Queen Mary’s civic engagement mission through their participatory design, community-oriented topics and study groups, and real-world application aims. All our studies involve young people not only as participants but as co-researchers, empowering them to shape the research that impacts their lives. YRU specifically aims to explore the impact of social inequalities and the ways to address it, working together with refugee communities and other marginalised groups. Our commitment to this mission is further exemplified through the Future Leaders programme which provides 3-weeks work experience in academic setting to the local A level students. Finally, our civic engagement approach is not limited to the UK, with several studies addressing internationally relevant issues such as mental health services for people in war-afflicted countries and the needs of child labourers.