My Voice Matters – The Importance of Lived Experience and Expression to Create Positive Change


In the latest report from the Mental Health of Children and Young People in England survey, it was found that about 1 in 5 (20.3%) children and young people aged 8 to 25 years had a probable mental health disorder. Furthermore, the Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics report that 739,751 children and young people accessed mental health services (directly or indirectly) within a 12 month period (November 2022 to November 2023), compared to 698,572 from the previous 12 month period.

Despite this, many children and young people experience or fear stigma, and discrimination, regarding sharing their experiences of mental health conditions, or through the journey of seeking and accessing support for their mental health (Mind and AndThen, 2021).

Celebrating its 10th year, Children’s Mental Health Week (5 – 11 February 2024) has chosen the theme ‘My Voice Matters’ to encourage the empowerment of children and young people to express themselves and subsequently drive positive change with regards to their mental health and wellbeing and reducing the stigmas associated with this.

By focusing on ‘My voice matters’, alongside our vision of ‘Sharing best evidence, improving practice’, and our mission to ‘Improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 0-25’, we encourage you to focus on how we, as a society, can help encourage children and young people to feel empowered in sharing their experiences in order to improve children’s and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

With this in mind, do explore the learning opportunities available on our website, and do share with your networks and colleagues. We have gathered a range of FREE learning resources from leading academics, clinicians, and researchers to raise awareness of child and adolescent mental health issues.

Resources

Podcasts

  • NEW Podcast ‘RESHAPE Study: Key Takeaways on Young Peoples’ Lockdown Experiences’ with Professor Tamsin Ford and Lauren Cross
  • Podcast ‘Online Behaviours and the Impact on Mental Health: Insights from the OxWell Student Survey’ with Dr. Simona Skripkauskaite and Dr. Holly Bear
  • Podcast ‘Friendships and Mental Health: Insights from the OxWell Student Survey’ with Tanya Manchanda
  • Podcast ‘Networks of Care: Insights from the OxWell Student Survey’ with Professor Mina Fazel, Dr. Emma Soneson, and Dr. Simon White 
  • Podcast ‘Getting the Right Support – Episode 1 ‘ADHD, A Young Person’s Guide’’ with Dr. Blandine French, Ruth Pearse, and Chris
  • Podcast ‘Adjusting to Change – Episode 2 ‘ADHD, A Young Person’s Guide’’ with Dr. Blandine French, Anita Salimi, and Dr. Anna Price
  • Podcast ‘ADHD and Sleep – Episode 3 ‘ADHD, A Young Person’s Guide’’ with Dr. Blandine French, Emily El-Bahrawy, and Helen Tracey
  • Podcast ‘Women and ADHD – Episode 4 ‘ADHD, A Young Person’s Guide’’ with Dr. Blandine French and Dr. Jo Steer
  • Podcast ‘Women and ADHD: Diagnosis & Management – Episode 5 ‘ADHD, A Young Person’s Guide’’ with Dr. Blandine French, Dr. Jo Steer, Emily, Anita, and Firdawsi
  • Podcast ‘Managing Impulsive and Risky Behaviour – Episode 6 ‘ADHD, A Young Person’s Guide’’ with Dr. Blandine French, Ruth Pearse, Emily and Alex
  • Podcast ‘Student Mental Health and What CAMH Professionals Need to Know’ with Rhiannon Hawkins and Nathan Randles

Articles

  • Blog ‘Photovoice within Mental Health Research Involving Adolescents’ by Madison Stephens
  • Blog ‘Engaging Young People in Conversations Exploring the Impact of Their Online Use on Mental Health’ by Dr. Zoë Haime

Open Access papers from ACAMH journals

  • ACAMH Featured Paper from the CAMH journal ‘Co-producing a complex psychosocial intervention during COVID-19 with young people transitioning from adolescent secure hospitals to adult services in England: Moving Forward intervention (MFi)’, (July 2023)., Maria Livanou, Marcus Bull, Ifigeneia Manitsa, Jodie Hunt, Rebecca Lane, Anya Heneghan
  • ACAMH Featured Paper from the CAMH journal ‘A qualitative study of young people’s lived experiences of suicide and self-harm: intentionality, rationality and authenticity’, (February 2023)., Hazel Marzetti, Lisa McDaid, Rory O’Connor
  • Original Article from the CAMH journal ‘‘No one else understands’, ‘I wouldn’t want to pity myself over something that’s not really my problem’: siblings’ experiences of their adolescent brothers and sisters’ inpatient treatment for mental health difficulties’, (February 2023)., Lisa McGrath, Charlotte Emma Wilson, Ann Buckmaster
  • Original Article from the CAMH journal ‘Development, preliminary validation and reliability of the colourful ‘My Feelings Form’ self-report for young children’, (May 2022)., Aisling Mulligan, Natthaphol Sresthaporn, Sinead Mulroy, Tara Rudd, Anne Coffey, Maria Joyce, Veselina Gadancheva, Caoimhe Glancy
  • Original Article from the JCPP ‘Social connectedness and adolescent suicide risk’, (November 2023)., Alejandra Arango, David Brent, Jacqueline Grupp-Phelan, Bradley J. Barney, Anthony Spirito, Megan M. Mroczkowski, Rohit Shenoi, Melinda Mahabee-Gittens, T. Charles Casper, Cheryl King, in collaboration with the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN)



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