Exploring similarities and differences in how researchers and young people understand key terms in youth mental-health research

Tools

Mankee-Williams, Anna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0829-8441, Duara, Raginie ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3004-9185, Pavlopoulou, Georgia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0205-8332, Hugh-Jones, Siobhan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5307-1203, Shaughnessy, Nicola ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9555-9987, Herbert, Ruth ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7878-9991, Baker, Sylvan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3857-2242, Williams, Emma, Sonuga-Barke, Edmund ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6996-3935, Bhui, Kamaldeep ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9205-2144 and Cooke, Paul ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8377-3118 (2025) Exploring similarities and differences in how researchers and young people understand key terms in youth mental-health research. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12 (1). ISSN 2662-9992

[thumbnail of Exploring similarities and differences in how researchers and young people understand key terms in youth mental-health research]
Preview
 Text (Exploring similarities and differences in how researchers and young people understand key terms in youth mental-health research)
Mankee-Williams sept 25 s41599-025-05809-5.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (1MB) | Preview
[thumbnail of Supplementary Material]
Preview
 Text (Supplementary Material)
41599_2025_5809_MOESM1_ESM.pdf - Supplemental Material
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (624kB) | Preview

Abstract / Summary

A lack of a shared understanding of key terms is acknowledged as a significant barrier to interdisciplinary research. This paper examines the ways in which a broadly interdisciplinary team of academics and youth co-researchers involved in mental health research interpreted a number of research and mental health terms that are central to their work in order to understand conceptual differences in how different stakeholder groups approach these terms. Data was collected in four phases (interviews, written responses, and two participatory ‘living labs’) and was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results revealed a wide disparity in the way participants understood key terms (including: ‘research’, ‘data’, ‘loneliness’, ‘safe space’ and ‘resilience’). Our study highlights the need for more inclusive approaches to mental health research, where diverse perspectives and lived experiences inform both methodology and practice from the outset. In conclusion we suggest a new framework (the EQUITY framework) as a tool to operationalise these findings.

Item Type: Article
Identification Number: 10.1057/s41599-025-05809-5
Additional Information: ** Licence for this article: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ** Acknowledgements: We would like to thank all the young people who took part in this study and for the facilitators and arts organisations who supported our living labs. We thank Paul Lewis and Dr. Jackie Walduck (University of Kent) for facilitating the first living lab with our YPAG members, and Giles Woolley (Music for Good), Jayne Howard (Director, Arts Well UK CIC) and Pema Wainwright (Music for Good) for supporting the regional workshop. The project is funded by the UK Arts and Humanities, Economic and Social and Medical Research Councils (MRC MR/X003116/1, AHRC).
ISSN: 2662-9992
Subjects: Health > Mental Health
Research
Department: Academy of Innovation and Research
Related URLs:
SWORD Depositor: Mr Pub Router
Depositing User: Mr Pub Router
Date Deposited: 08 Oct 2025 14:52
Last Modified: 08 Oct 2025 14:54
URI: https://repository.falmouth.ac.uk/id/eprint/6192
View Item View Record (staff only)
Altmetric