Too often, young people with mental health problems don’t get their voices heard. We’re looking to change that by working with young people to hear their experiences of being hospitalised with a mental illness. We hope this will help improve care for young people with mental health problems and make sure that their rights are being upheld, particularly when they are admitted to hospital.

If you are aged 12 to 24 and have previously been admitted to a mental health in-patient unit, we’d love to hear from you! It doesn’t matter if you were sectioned or admitted as a voluntary patient but if you are aged 18+, it is important that your admission occurred before you were 18. Taking part in the study would involve a conversation with a researcher about your experiences of being in a mental health in-patient unit, including the admissions process and your experiences during your stay. The conversation will be completely confidential and can take place online or at a location convenient to you. After the conversation, you will receive a £10 Amazon voucher to thank you for your time. This research has been approved by the UCL Research Ethics Committee and the Coram Ethics Committee.

We are also interested in speaking to parents/caregivers of children who have been admitted to a mental health in-patient unit, and to professionals with expertise in this area, so do get in touch if this applies to you!

Please contact: elizabeth.yarrow@coramclc.org.uk or alice.rafter@coramclc.org.uk for further information.