Inequalities in adolescent mental health in Bradford

Adolescence is a key time for mental health, with many mental health problems first starting during the teenage years. Some evidence suggests that young people today have more mental health problems than in the past, though the reasons for this are unclear and these changes may not affect all young people equally.

The Age of Wonder is a large research study of adolescents in Bradford, a diverse city in the North of England. A central element of the study is surveys that participants complete at school. The surveys measures mental health and wellbeing in several different ways, including anxiety, depression, self-harm, and eating disorders.

We plan to use data from Age of Wonder to show whether mental health problems have a greater impact on adolescents of different ethnic backgrounds and different levels of poverty or deprivation. This will help guide services that support young people and may help explain changes that are happening over time.