About REACH


The study is called REACH, which stands for Resilience, Ethnicity, and AdolesCent Mental Health. It is a large scale study, funded by the European Union and conducted by researchers from King's College London.
  • The study examines what factors influence mental health among young people over time
  • The study has a specific focus on what promotes good mental health
  • Over 4,000 young people aged 11 to 14 (Years 7 to 9) are taking part.
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Why is this study being done?


​Most mental health problems begin when people are still at school. 

The aim of this study is to understand better what factors lead to good mental health and what factors lead to poor mental health in young people from all backgrounds. 

The findings from this research will provide important information on how and when to intervene to improve mental health and wellbeing among young people during this critical period. ​

For more information about mental health, visit our "what is mental health?" page and our resources page. ​

If my child takes part, what will they be asked to do?


​If your child chooses to take part in REACH:

1. Your child will be asked to complete a questionnaire about their mental health, their life experiences and circumstances, their friendships, and how they handle difficult situations.

​2. We would like to complete a further questionnaire and some reasoning tasks with a group of young people who complete the first questionnaire. We will choose young people for this part of the study entirely at random. If your child is chosen, we will contact you with more information and ask for your permission before they complete anything further.  

All questionnaires will be completed during form or lesson time, and will take no more than one lesson to complete. All questionnaire responses will be completely confidential to the research team and will not be seen by other pupils, teachers, or staff at the school. 

You are free to choose whether your child takes part in this study. Your child will also be asked if they wish to participate in the study when we visit the school. 

The next phase of REACH started in May 2020 and will be moving online for the foreseeable future. You can find more information on the next phase of the REACH study here. 

Further Information

You can REACH us here!