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6 - Youth Social Action: Shaping Communities, Driving Change
- Edited by Sarah Richards, University of Suffolk, UK, Sarah Coombs, University of Suffolk, UK
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- Book:
- Critical Perspectives on Research with Children
- Published by:
- Bristol University Press
- Published online:
- 17 January 2024
- Print publication:
- 09 February 2023, pp 96-116
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Summary
Introduction
In this chapter I join with others to think reflexively and critically about participation with children and young people both in research and practice. First, introducing the notion of agency and voice with regard to research with children and young people, I subsequently explore a critical approach to participation, outlining the potential areas for further clarification and questioning, alongside the potential opportunities for meaningful engagement and co-production with young people. I refer directly to my experience of carrying out explorative qualitative research alongside young people across Suffolk, a county in the East of England, conducted to explore young people’s perceptions of opportunities within their communities, which was followed by a second study to unpick the notions of meaningful participation and ‘voice’ for both young people themselves, but also local civic leaders. I reflect on my experiences as a perhaps naive, early-career researcher, and the practicalities, conflicts, and realities of researching alongside young people. Utilising a reflexive approach in this instance not only facilitated my understanding positionality and the influence upon the research process itself, but also further highlighted the ethical complexities of participatory and co-production methodological approaches to researching with young people. As Graham et al (2016, p 86) suggest, ‘reflexivity offers a means by which participatory methods can be analysed to reveal the ethical nuance inherent in the creative processes used to invite and engage children in the research’.
The term young people is used throughout to refer to individuals aged 11–25 years who participated in the research, acknowledging that this age bracket spans both childhood, as conventionally defined as under 18, and youth. Furthermore, when discussing participation, it is realised that with the age of 18 comes a democratic right to vote, which could alter dynamics and perceptions of participation in both communities and wider society (Walther et al, 2019). It is not my aim to make sweeping generalisations about individuals within this age bracket, as all young people will have individual socio-cultural contexts from which they draw experience, and subsequent acknowledgement of this diversity, as well as the shared perceptions, is important.
Key questions: research priorities for student mental health
- Katie Sampson, Michael Priestley, Alyson L. Dodd, Emma Broglia, Til Wykes, Dan Robotham, Katie Tyrrell, Marta Ortega Vega, Nicola C. Byrom
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- Journal:
- BJPsych Open / Volume 8 / Issue 3 / May 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 10 May 2022, e90
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- Article
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- Open access
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Background
The high prevalence of mental distress among university students is gaining academic, policy and public attention. As the volume of research into student mental health increases, it is important to involve students to ensure that the evidence produced can translate into meaningful improvements.
AimsFor the first time, we consult UK students about their research priorities on student mental health.
MethodThis priority setting exercise involved current UK university students who were asked to submit three research questions relating to student mental health. Responses were aggregated into themes through content analysis and considered in the context of existing research. Students were involved throughout the project, including inception, design, recruitment, analysis and dissemination.
ResultsUK university students (N = 385) submitted 991 questions, categorised into seven themes: epidemiology, causes and risk factors, academic factors and work–life balance, sense of belonging, intervention and services, mental health literacy and consequences. Across themes, respondents highlighted the importance of understanding the experience of minority groups.
ConclusionsStudents are interested in understanding the causes and consequences of poor mental health at university, across academic and social domains. They would like to improve staff and students’ knowledge about mental health, and have access to evidence-based support. Future research should take a broad lens to evaluate interventions; considering how services are designed and delivered, and investigating institutional and behavioural barriers to accessibility, including how this varies across different groups within the student population.