Key Insights and Progress Across the Attune Project’s Work Packages
Work Package 1
The Kent team is completing the coding phase and exploring emerging themes from our framework analysis, a fascinating process that we’re eager to share in full soon. Discussions are expanding within our research team to delve into these findings further. Additionally, thanks to the incredible contributions of young participants in the Leeds Emerge service, our art portfolio is growing. The depth and honesty of insights from these young people are remarkable, and we extend our gratitude to all involved. For more information, please reach out to Associate Professor Anna Mankee Williams at anna.mankeewilliams@falmouth.ac.uk.
Work Package 2
We are currently documenting the findings from our recent study, which we presented at the project’s impact and dissemination event. This study examined the roles of peer and parental support in the connection between youth adversity and adolescent mental health, including potential differences across various demographic characteristics. Our findings are under review and will soon contribute to a broader understanding of these mechanisms. For further details, contact Dr. Lucy Havers at l.havers@qmul.ac.uk.
Work Package 3
Led by Siobhan Hugh-Jones, WP3 has successfully launched a new resource, now implemented in regions across Cornwall, Kent, and Yorkshire. Each location has completed a workshop on how to integrate the resource into their settings and has gathered pre-implementation data. A recent highlight was our colleagues’ participation in the project conference, where they shared insights from the co-design and co-production workshops. Siobhan will also present at the NHS London Violence Reduction Symposium and the UK Psychological Society’s annual conference in Leeds this January, focusing on addressing the enduring effects of childhood trauma. For more on WP3, please email Siobhan at s.hugh-jones@leeds.ac.uk.
Work Package 4
Exciting progress in WP4 includes the beta version of Out of Shell, a game exploring gender dysphoria. Feedback from the Leeds Young Persons Advisory Group has guided recent improvements to gameplay and interface features. Game evaluation with young participants begins in early November. We’re also inviting creative contributions, such as drawings, photos, and poems, for inclusion in the game. If interested, please contact Dr. Isabelle Butcher at isabelle.butcher@psych.ox.ac.uk by November 16.
Work Package 5
A draft review paper exploring the cost-effectiveness of digital interventions for young people is nearing completion, with submission planned before Christmas. Another review is underway, examining how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) impact educational and employment outcomes. Our economic analysis is also advancing, focusing on the effects of ACEs on health-related quality of life. For more information, please reach out to Professor Paul McCrone at p.mccrone@greenwich.ac.uk.
Work Package 6
Our national and local Young Persons Advisory Groups (YPAGs) are actively supporting the impact and dissemination program and are involved in academic and policy-related activities. The Oxford team has scheduled several presentations, and our young members will soon attend a Parliamentary Policy Panel in November. Recently, Simran represented us at the GHU Psychiatry and Arts Conference in Paris, and our Principal Investigator, Professor Kam Bhui, delivered a presentation to the Cross-Party Group on Fit and Healthy Childhood. Additionally, our youth participants have been invited to contribute a blog for the MQ Science Council. For any questions contact Dr. Isabelle Butcher at isabelle.butcher@psych.ox.ac.uk