About REACH
The REACH study will help us understand the best ways to promote good mental health among young people from all backgrounds.
The study began in 12 secondary schools in south London, with over 4000 young people (Years 7-9) invited to take part since 2016. The first phase (2015-20) examined early-to-mid adolescence, the second (2020-21) looked at the impacts of COVID-19 and the third will investigate the transition to adulthood (2024-25).
REACH is based at King's College London, and is currently funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. Phase 1 was funded by European Research Council and phase 2 was funded by the United Kingdom Research and Innovation.
The study began in 12 secondary schools in south London, with over 4000 young people (Years 7-9) invited to take part since 2016. The first phase (2015-20) examined early-to-mid adolescence, the second (2020-21) looked at the impacts of COVID-19 and the third will investigate the transition to adulthood (2024-25).
REACH is based at King's College London, and is currently funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. Phase 1 was funded by European Research Council and phase 2 was funded by the United Kingdom Research and Innovation.
WHY are we doing this?
Most mental health problems begin when people are still at school. Around 1 in 10 young people are thought to experience a mental health problem. We want to understand more about what causes these problems so we can improve mental health and well-being among young people. This could help many young people in the future! The aim of the REACH study is to understand what things lead to better mental health and what things lead to worse mental health in young people from all backgrounds. |
What do we mean by MENTAL HEALTH?
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects different areas of our lives, like how we feel and our behaviour. Just like we need to look after our physical health, we need to look after our mental health too. It can be thought of as: - How we feel about ourselves and the people around us - Our ability to make and keep friends and relationships - Our ability to learn from others and to develop emotionally The way that people deal with different events and situations, and with difficult thoughts and feelings can vary between individuals. Learn more about mental health here or have a look at our resources for young people page. |
How can YOU help us?
If you went to one of the schools taking part in REACH, we need your help! You can help us see how positive and negative life experiences affect people's mental health over time. In 2024/25, we are looking for official members of REACH to take part in a new paid online survey on young people's mental health as they transition to adulthood. We'll ask you to fill in a short (10-20 minute) online questionnaire. It will ask about your mood, feelings and recent experiences. You'll get a £15 love2shop voucher if you take part. Your responses are completely confidential (private). If you took part in the REACH study at school and would like to get involved, please fill in this contact form. We will then send you a survey link and information about the study. |
What's happened so far?
In 2015-2020, we came to your school and asked students to complete questionnaires during lesson time. This was about things that had happened in your life, and how you felt. We have since been using your answers, which are completely confidential (private), to better understand what affects young people's mental health. See what we've found so far here!
We also asked some pupils to take part in an extra part of the study. This involved completing a further questionnaire and some 'thinking skills' activities. This is so that we can understand in more detail what leads to better mental health. We chose young people for this part of the study entirely at random. In 2020/21, we moved online for our REACH study. REACH participants filled in online questionnaires on their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and their mental health. See more on this phase of the study here. |