On the 17th of February 2022, the Reuben community welcomed Professor Cathy Creswell, who leads the Oxford Psychological Interventions for Children and adolescents (TOPIC) Research Group at the departments of Experimental Psychology and Psychiatry, for a talk at the Natural History Museum as part of our Academic Seminar series.
TOPIC focuses on improving access to and outcomes from psychological treatments for common mental health conditions in children, adolescents, and families. During the talk, Prof. Creswell described her journey designing and conducting rapid-response research to understand and alleviate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these demographics. Among the several studies conducted by the TOPIC group were:
Co-SPACE: This study has tracked UK families longitudinally since March 2020 to understand how they are coping during the pandemic. Overall, periods of lockdown correlated with elevated behavioural and emotional difficulties. However, the emotional impact of the pandemic was different for different groups of young people. Younger children, children with special educational needs, and children from families living on low income showed greater behavioural and emotional symptoms throughout the pandemic, pointing to the importance of targeted support for those most in need.
SPARKLE: This study responds to the needs identified through Co-SPACE, by designing and trialling a digital public health parenting intervention. The intervention consists of a smartphone application that helps parents support their children through their behaviour problems through evidence-based advice and support. The trial has recruited over 600 parents, and data analysis is currently underway.
Co-CAT: This study compares an online parent-led therapy programme for children with anxiety problems to treatment as usual. This accessible online programme helps parents integrate principles of cognitive behavioural therapy into their day-to-day lives and support their children through the uncertainties of the pandemic. The trial is ongoing and has recruited over 500 participants so far.
Co-RAY: This project aims to understand what mental health resources adolescents would find most helpful during the pandemic, and ensure easy access to existing resources. Based on young people’s insights and the existing literature, the project also involves and engages youth organisations such as Headliners UK and Fully Focused Productions to develop and share new mental health resources. Outputs include a BBC Bitesize video where young people share tips to cope with boredom and low motivation during COVID-19.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, there was a great deal of uncertainty both in and out of academia. TOPIC’s rapid deployment of robust mental health studies from the very beginning provides a model of science innovation, responsiveness and resilience. Prof. Creswell’s research has informed public health responses and provided creative, efficient, and accessible ways to support young people’s mental health throughout the pandemic. The impact of this work to academic research and society at large is both far-reaching and long-lasting.
Gabriela Pavarini is Nuffield Department of Public Health (NDPH) Intermediate Fellow at the Ethox Centre, and Research Fellow at the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities and Reuben College.
