Why is the RISE study important?
Difficult pathways into adulthood
The number of young people with mental health problems - for example feeling depressed or anxious - is increasing. Young people who do have mental health problems have a much higher chance of experiencing other negative outcomes as they move towards adulthood. They may be excluded from school, have problems with drugs or alcohol, get in trouble with the police, be homeless or develop more serious and long-term mental illness. Some young people have a much higher chance of developing a mental health problem. This includes young people who come from poor backgrounds, those who have experienced past trauma, those whose parents have mental health problems, and those who have autism or ADHD.
Mental health problems cost the UK economy about £118 billion each year due to service costs and also because people are unable to work. Mental health services can only help young people with very severe problems, and even then they have long waiting lists. There is an urgent need to provide effective early support for young people who are at risk of poor mental health, and who are therefore also at risk of difficult pathways into adulthood.
Our approach
This research study will develop an approach to providing better support across a whole geographical area, involving all the services and settings where young people go. By taking a 'whole system' approach like this, it is hoped that all young people's needs can be supported together, which is what they say they would like. We will work in partnership with young adults aged between 16-21 years old, and with professionals, to make changes to the system. We will then collect data to see if those changes have made a difference to young people’s lives. Our study name reflects what we want all young people to be by the time they reach adulthood: Resilient, Independent, Supported and Empowered.
