Professor Judi Kidger

Young people’s mental health is a growing concern, particularly for those facing disadvantage, childhood trauma, autism or ADHD. Through her NIHR Population Health Career Scientist Award Fellowship, Professor Judi Kidger is leading research to understand how we can better support young people as they move into adulthood and reduce the risk of poor long-term outcomes.

Working closely with young people, service providers and policymakers, the fellowship takes a whole-system approach, recognising that young people often need support from different services at the same time. Young people are at the heart of the research, helping to shape the work, identify priorities for change, and share findings with others.

The fellowship will review existing evidence, explore young people’s experiences, develop and test improvements to support systems, and work with policymakers to help translate findings into practice. The goal is to ensure that young people at risk of poor mental health receive earlier, more joined-up, and more effective support.