TRIUMPH Network Newsletter
November 2020

News

Co-RAY: Covid-19 Mental Health Resources for and by Young People

TRIUMPH are working with the Emerging Minds Network to support the Co-RAY project. Co-RAY is a new project funded by the Medical Research Council and Westminster Foundation, that aims to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 11-16 during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The project will focus on: 

• Making sense of what research says about how the mental health of young people aged 11–16 years has been affected by the pandemic.
• Supporting young people themselves to develop and share resources that will be helpful for other young people (particularly those aged 11–16 years old). 

Find out more

Interested in getting involved?

Young people can take part in a short activity to tell us what they think 11–16 year olds need to support their mental health during COVID-19. The activity can be completed by individuals or as a group. If you work with 11–16 year olds please do get involved before 23 November 2020.

Take part in the Co-Ray project

Mental health and care experienced children and young people: A partnership for change

TRIUMPH are supporting the Mental Health and Care Experienced Children and Young People: A partnership for change project led by the 439 Champion’s Board, Who Cares? Scotland, the University of Edinburgh and the Institute for Innovation and Research in Social Services’ (IRISS) project. The project seeks to improve understanding and practice in relation to care experienced young people’s mental health.

Take a listen to the podcast recorded by Thomas and Casey, two care experienced young people who talk openly about the subject of mental health.

Find out more and listen to podcast

Resources

SHINE webinar series

The Schools Health and Wellbeing Improvement Research Network (SHINE) supports improvements in health and wellbeing among school-aged children by building collaboration between schools, policymakers and researchers.

SHINE has hosted a series of webinars focussed on topics including:

• Attachment Difficulties 
• Suicide and self-harm in young people
• Sleep and Mental Health in the School Setting

You can view the recordings on the SHINE website.

Mental Health in Schools podcast series

The Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools in partnership with Bupa Foundation are launching a new podcast series on Mental Health in Schools. The series will feature thought provoking discussions which will be of interest to school and college leaders, teachers and other staff wanting to know more about the realities of leading mental health in schools/colleges. Sign up here for access to the podcasts.

NeuroLove: Staying virtually connected during Covid-19

NeuroLove is an online platform which provides range of free digital interventions to improve the mental and physical health of young people, aged 8-25 (and especially those with care experience). Neurolove’s primary aim is to keep young people socially connected through online workshops, social therapy, psychological therapy and online resources in these difficult times. Read more on our blog.

Events

Mental Health Networks Early Career Researcher (ECR) webinar series

This free two part series, run in partnership with other UKRI-funded mental health networks, will bring together researchers to provide proactive advice on applying to and securing mental health research funding. 

Getting mental health research funding as an ECR: Monday 30 November 1-4pm

Networking and career development: Monday 7 December 1-4pm

Registration details will be circulated next week!

Co-RAY Webinar: 2 December 1-2pm

Catch up with the findings from the Co-RAY study so far and discuss how we can all support the mental health of 11–16 year olds during the Covid-19 pandemic (and beyond). Find out more and register

SMaRteN: The Student Mental Health Research Network Conference: 16–17 December

The conference is structured around six panels that will focus on the following themes: Trends and risk factors, Inclusion and exclusion, Mental Health Literacy, Future priorities for student mental health research, Interventions and Academic Culture. Find out more and register. 

 ‘CAMHS around the Campfire’, free live online journal club: 10 December 5-6pm

The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in conjuction with the Mental Elf is running a free live journal club which will feature a new piece of research at each session, The first session focusses on 'Self‐reported sleep patterns and quality amongst adolescents'. Register here.

Take part in Research

The effect of promoting respect on cyberbullying

This project led by a PhD student at The Glasgow School of Art is exploring how respect can be promoted when people are interacting online and whether this can help to minimise opportunities for online-bullying. Information gathered will help to identify opportunities for interventions in anti‑cyberbullying which are based on real-life experiences of young adults living in Scotland.

Young adults (18-24 years old) living in Scotland are invited to participate. Sessions will involve sharing experiences of online communication, and ideas for strategies on promoting respectful communication.

Contact p.azhand2@student.gsa.ac.uk for further information.

Research into depressive symptoms in adolescence

The NHS Research Scotland Mental Health Network are looking to recruit adolescents living in or near Edinburgh aged 16-18 years who have mental health difficulties related to sadness and low mood to take part in a research study that seeks to understand adolescent depression.  

The study involves having an MRI scan of your brain while doing some computerised tasks and completing some other questionnaires outside the scanner. The study will involve attending the Clinical Research Imaging Centre (CRIC) at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for a two-hour session. Travel expenses will be reimbursed. 

Contact eva.imag@ed.ac.uk for further information.

Funding opportunities

Violence, Abuse and Mental Health Network: Grants of up to £25,000 on the theme of understanding violence, abuse and mental health. Deadline: 11 December 2020.

BBC Children in Need, A Million and Me: £10m of funding over three years to support innovative initiatives that can make a real difference to the emotional wellbeing of children aged 8-13. Organisations are invited to share ideas to work up together into proposals for funding. Email  to find out more.

UKRI: open call for short-term research projects addressing and mitigating the health, social, economic, cultural and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. Deadline: 9 December 2020.

SMaRteN: The Student Mental Health Research Network: Grants of up to £25,000 to address the key questions that students felt should be the priority topics for future student mental health research. Deadline: 14 April 2021

NIHR: ongoing research funding opportunities including mental health and public health. Current calls include: Public Health Research Programme Rapid Funding Scheme. Deadline: 31 December 2020

National Lottery Community Fund: ongoing funding opportunities across the UK, including those specifically to support young people. Currently prioritising funding for projects and organisations supporting communities through COVID-19.

Latest publications

Mental health of Children and Young People in England: The first in a series of follow up reports to the Mental Health and Young People Survey 2017, exploring the mental health of children and young people in July 2020, during the Coronavirus pandemic. The report published by NHS Digital found that the proportion of children experiencing a probable mental disorder has increased over the past three years, from one in nine in 2017 to one in six in July this year.

The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition Annual Report 2020: This report reflects on progress within children and young people’s mental health over the last five years and brings together the latest insights from research, from members and from children and young people themselves. The report makes recommendations to help shift society towards a more proactive approach towards infant, children, and young people’s mental health.

Get involved

Is there anything you’d like us to highlight for your organisation? Send your latest news, research, blog and events to sphsu-triumph@glasgow.ac.uk before Friday 18th December to make sure you’re included in the next edition.

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