MP visits Digital Youth to hear about research into young people’s mental health
Lilian Greenwood MP visited researchers and young people from the Digital Youth programme at the Institute of Mental Health, to learn more about our pioneering research into young people’s mental health and wellbeing in a digital world.
On Friday 3 March the Director of the Institute of Mental Health, Professor Martin Orrell, welcomed Ms Greenwood, Labour MP for Nottingham South, to a round-table discussion, along with Digital Youth co-leads Professor Chris Hollis and Professor Ellen Townsend. The visit came after a meeting in November at UK Parliament’s ‘Evidence Week’, where Professor Hollis introduced Ms Greenwood to our work. Also in attendance were Digital Youth researchers and members of their young people’s advisory group Sprouting Minds.
Dr Jo Lockwood led the session with a presentation about the impact of self-harm on children and young adults, including her work on the CaTS-APP intervention. Dr Amy Jess Williams from Kings College London followed with an introduction to the Purrble project, with everyone given the opportunity to experience Purrble, a small furry robot used to aid emotion regulation in young people at risk of self-harm.
Ms Greenwood had the opportunity to question researchers and engaged in a lively and thought-provoking debate, taking an interest particularly in the perspectives of the younger voices in the room. She offered to support the team in taking their work further in Parliament, and we look forward to working with her in future and raising the profile of this vital area of research.
Read more about CaTS-APP
Read more about Purrble.
