REflecting on the impactS of covid-19 on cHildren And young People in England: exploring experiences of lockdown, service access and education

Covid-19 has brought about many changes to the daily lives of children, young people and families including school closures, closures of clubs and activities, ‘socially distant’ socialising, and worries about the health and wellbeing of loved ones. Therefore, in this research we are interested in how life changed for children, young people and parents during the lockdown and how this may have affected them.

The study is titled RESHAPE: Reflecting on the impacts of covid-19 on children and young people in England: exploring experiences of lockdown, service access and education.

This is a follow-on study from the National Study of Health and Wellbeing: Children and Young people.

This research explored different health, developmental and emotional disorders and what makes children and young people more or less vulnerable to these, with information collected both before and during the pandemic.

Who is taking part in our research?

Children and young people (aged 11-24) and their parents, were invited to take part in our research if they:

A) Participated in the National Study of Health and Wellbeing: Children and Young People
B) Indicated during this research that they were happy to be contacted about further research opportunities

What does the follow-on study involve?

There are four phases to the RESHAPE project. We will use a combination of interviews, surveys and a mobile application ‘MyJournE’ to collect information from people who take part in our study. Each component focuses on a different aspect of mental health and wellbeing in relation to the pandemic.

A diagram to show the 4 phases of the RESHAPE research project:

We have worked with children and young people, parents, schools and mental health experts to help shape our research questions and materials.

The MyJournE Mobile app:

Privacy Notice download

MyJournE is a secure and free app co-designed with young people and researchers at King’s College London. It collects survey and mood monitoring data surrounding young people’s mental health, wellbeing and day-to-day experiences. The mood monitoring will involve a number of one-word mood ratings and a daily life event diary. You will be able to tailor the notifications on the app and complete the ratings and diary entries at a time that suits you. Completing the mood monitoring will take no more than a few minutes per entry.

What are the benefits of taking part?

By taking part, you will help us gather valuable data about children and young people’s experiences of Covid-19. This information will be used to help improve and inform education and services for children and young people. Additionally, some participants may find it useful or beneficial to talk about their experiences.

As a ‘thank you’ for their participation within the RESHAPE interviews, participants will also receive a £15 voucher.

Who is organising and funding the research?

This study is being carried out by the University of Cambridge, University of Exeter and King’s College London. It has been funded by the UKRI (United Kingdom Research Innovation) to develop ideas to address Covid-19.