About

Youth LIVES  is a citizen science mental health research project that seeks to produce priority mental heath research proposals for young people. The project brings together youth co-researchers (young people aged 14-21 with lived experience of mental health) with mental health researchers across a program of facilitated sessions to identify research areas of interest; conduct evidence mapping and other knowledge sharing activities; build appropriate research methods, and co-create and share a co-designed research proposal.

The project is split into 4 research teams, focused on youth priority topics identified through co-design sessions. These topics are:

• Access to mental health support and support in schools

• Neurodiversity and mental health in young people

• Pets and animal companions and youth mental health

• Suicide and self-harm in young people

Our approach is based on radical collaboration: youth co-researchers are equal partners in identifying priority research questions and developing research proposals to address these. The project supports young people in being fully integrated into the design and development process, with capacity building, relationship building and financial reimbursement to enable young people to take an active role and work with confidence alongside professional researchers. Through peer-to-peer learning and signposting to methods and materials, we support researchers in making an authentic space for collaboration with the young people.