The Bath Mental Health Research Group (MHRG) aims to improve mental health and wellbeing in young people aged 12–25 across Bath, North-East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. We are focusing on this age range because we know that most mental health difficulties start in childhood. Currently, many young people wait a long time before receiving support or don’t receive the right help early on, which can result in problems getting worse, which affects their relationships, education, and future opportunities. Some groups may need extra support, including those who are neurodivergent, have additional learning needs, or who have had difficult early life experiences. We also know that developing youth-specific services is crucial for supporting the transition into adulthood and preventing young people from ‘falling into the gap’ between child and adult services when they turn 18.
We are funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) for five years from 2025–2029. Based at the University of Bath, our group works closely with partners at the Universities of Exeter and Bristol. Our aim is to bring together researchers, healthcare professionals, third-sector experts, and people with lived experience to carry out meaningful research that addresses the issues most important to local communities. To shape our priorities, we have collaborated with key partners who support children and young people across the region, including those in health services, schools, universities, charities, and local authorities.
The overarching aims of the Bath MHRG group are:
We recognise that children and young people are embedded within complex, interconnected systems and are affected by changes in these systems, as well as having the potential to effect positive change themselves within these systems. This includes within families, educational institutions, local communities and wider society.
Ecological Systems Model based on Bronfenbrenner (1979) Copyright Juliet Young
