Dolaty, Sarah; (2025) A Culture of Collaboration: Why Youth Participation Matters in Mental Health Programming. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Background Aim: This thesis qualitatively explored the perceptions of staff and young people involved in youth participation in mental health programming, focusing on the HeadStart programme—a seven-year UK initiative supporting youth mental health. It examined how young people publicly participate in mental health services, the factors facilitating or hindering meaningful collaboration with staff, and perceptions of the outcomes of these collaborative efforts in creating, delivering, and evaluating mental health services within the UK. / Methodology: The methodology included a comprehensive literature review on youth participation in healthcare and education, along with a scoping review of participation modalities in mental health. Study 1 applied Tim Davies's (2009) Matrix Model of Participation to categorise youth participation across six HeadStart localities in the UK. Study 2 qualitatively explored the experiences of 22 staff members collaborating with young people in youth mental health programming. Study 3 examined the perspectives of 11 young people involved in developing, delivering, and evaluating mental health services in schools and community spaces. / Results: The literature review revealed a significant lack of qualitative research on youth participation in UK mental health programming. Examining various participation modalities highlighted the strengths and shortcomings of each model. Study 1 categorised participation forms using Tim Davies's (2009) Matrix Model, offering insights into the depth and scope of youth participatory activities in HeadStart's school and community initiatives. Study 2 explored staff perspectives through thematic analysis, identifying barriers, facilitators, and outcomes of youth participation. Themes emphasised foundational elements for meaningful youth involvement and the importance of specialised roles in mental health engagement. Study 3 analysed young people's perspectives, uncovering similar barriers, facilitators, and outcomes, and highlighting the value of fostering a collaborative culture and strong youth-adult partnerships for meaningful participation. / Conclusion: Analysis of 76 HeadStart initiatives across six UK localities revealed the spectrum of youth participation in school and community spaces. This study's qualitative investigations identified facilitators, barriers, and outcomes of youth participation as perceived by key stakeholders. The findings suggest that involving young stakeholders in mental health programming can benefit both the collaborators and the initiatives. However, these insights are specific to the HeadStart programme, and further research is needed to explore their applicability in other contexts.

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