Loneliness, mental wellbeing and citizenship in a student population
05/22/12/18/A, approved by the University of Strathclyde Ethics Committee

Recent research has suggested that students in higher education in the UK experience higher levels of mental distress and lower wellbeing. The present study will examine the impact of various psychological factors (low mood, stress, loneliness and citizenship) on mental wellbeing amongst students in the UK.

Participants much be over the age of 17 and studying in Higher Education in the UK. You will be invited to complete a series of questionnaires about the various psychological factors that may have an impact on your wellbeing. You will also be asked about your citizenship, as we are interested to know how this may impact on wellbeing. The session should take no longer than 15 minutes.

​Click here to read the full information sheet or to take part, or email Andrew Robertson at andrew.j.robertson.2014@uni.strath.ac.uk for further details.
Mindfulness skills-based group therapies for university students with stress/anxiety
ETH1819-0489, approved by Department of Psychology Research Ethics Committee, City University London

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) group and a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) group for individuals with anxiety.

ACT and MBSR have been shown to be effective in helping a range of individuals with anxiety and we want to find out whether it will be useful in a university setting, so if you are a student at a London university and there is an aspect of your life that you would like to improve, we believe that a psychological intervention may be of benefit to you. We can offer you four 2-hour group sessions, which will take place once a week for a total of 4 weeks.

Participation will involve a brief pre-screening interview followed by, if eligible, weekly meetings to discuss your thoughts and feelings with the group facilitator. Questionnaires will also be completed each week (more details in the information sheet below, or contact the researchers).

If you are a university student who meets the outlined criteria and would like to know more or participate in the study, please contact Dr Jessica Jones Nielsen (Project Lead) or Giulia Falangola (Research Assistant) at the Counselling Psychology (CPsych) Research Clinic at City, University of London via email CPsychResearchClinic@city.ac.uk or phone +44 (0)20 7040 8755
participant_information_sheetACTstudy.pdf
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Conducting a pilot study to gain student perspectives on mental health study methods
LRS-18/19-10411, approved by PNM Research Ethics Committee

Student wellbeing and mental health is a high priority at the moment, due to concerns about the rising number of students reporting mental health difficulties. However, better quality research is needed to determine how widespread mental health problems really are amongst students, and what predicts them. A research team at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) is looking to set up a study at King’s to investigate this further.

We are looking for undergraduate students at King's College London to give feedback on an upcoming pilot study by participating in a focus group (of up to 6 students). We will discuss different methods that might be used in the study, and what students think of them. Participants won’t be expected to talk about their own mental health. The groups will take place on Tuesday 26th, Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th March. Each session will last a maximum of 1.5 hours and participants will receive a £25 Love2Shop voucher.

If you are interested, please email lauren.blood@kcl.ac.uk for further details or click here: https://kcliop.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ytplX8LcR3OWP3
Testing the Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model (IMV) to explore suicidal thoughts and behaviours in university students
S1161, approved by the School of Psychology Ethics Committee, University of Nottingham

Self-harm and suicide are of increasing concern in university students. It is important to understand what the psychological factors are that are associated with these behaviours. Taking part in this study will involve completing an online questionnaire which consists of various measures of your recent thoughts, feelings and mental health symptoms.
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We are looking for UK-based university students to complete this questionnaire – anyone over 18 can complete it and we need to hear about a wide range of experiences from those who have never thought about self-harm and suicide, to those who have attempted suicide.

To learn more or take part in the study, visit https://nottinghampsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1zsJrltqELj7kKF
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Contact Ellen Townsend (Ellen.Townsend@nottingham.ac.uk ) or Kaya Heywood Ansell (lpyksh@nottingham.ac.uk) for more information.
Measuring illness representations among children and young people with anxiety and/or depression
REC 9777/003, approved by the UCL Research Ethics Committee

We are recruiting young people with experience of anxiety or depression to take part in our new online study. We are aiming to better understand how children and young people understand, feel and think about anxiety and depression and the associated treatments.

Taking part in this research will involve completing a questionnaire, which should take no longer than 20 minutes. You will be asked if you want to be entered into a prize draw by entering your email address at the start of the questionnaire to win one of two £50 Amazon vouchers.

If you are aged 14 or 15, you can take part here: https://research.sc/participant/login/dynamic/64C3B585-9218-42F4-BA4D-0C197DC3D395
If you are aged 16 to 24, you can take part here: https://research.sc/participant/login/dynamic/EB7F7355-9162-4BB2-B27A-3EE67CFABC96

If you have any questions about this research or would like to participate, please contact Holly Bear at Holly.Bear.16@ucl.ac.uk or call 020 3108 9888
UCL anxiety depression study info.pdf
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Care experienced students in Higher Education
REC1127, approved by the UCL Research Ethics Committee

Today, more and more young who have lived in foster care or residential care as a child are being encouraged and supported to continue with their education, but a recent study has shown that care-experienced young people at university are more likely leave before completing their course than other students. Researchers at University College London (UCL) have been commissioned by the Access and Widening Participation Team at UCL to carry out a study into how young people from a care background experience Higher Education. The aim of this study is to understand how care leavers experience higher education and how they can be better supported to complete their course.

We would like to speak to care leavers who are currently in their second or final year of a degree course and those who have previously attended university but did not complete their course. We would like to involve young people from a range of universities across London and the South East.

To find out more or sign up, visit https://studentsexperiencesinhighereducation.wordpress.com/; there is also an information available for download below.
Or contact Hanan Hauari  (h.hauari@ucl.ac.uk) or Katie Hollingworth (katie.hollingworth@ucl.ac.uk) on the research team.
care_experienced_young_people_in_he_study_info.pdf
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The HYPE Project: Improving the Health of Young People
Ethically approved by the King's College London Research Ethics Committee (REC Reference Number: HR-17/18-7535); funded by the Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, National Institute for Health Research

The HYPE (Improving the Health of Young PeoplE) Project is an online recruitment, risk assessment, and resource platform for young people (aged 16 and over). The Project is aimed at improving the understanding of problems affecting young people’s health, increasing young peoples’ involvement in research and improving access to online and community, social and health-related resources. We hope to use the project to empower individuals within their neighbourhoods and communities by providing an environment to voice their opinions and contribute to a discussion on health inequalities - and work towards reducing these inequalities. 

To take part, we need young people to complete a 30 minute (approximately) online survey.

The HYPE Project online platform also offers signposting to relevant charities and organisations, self-help materials and information about community activities and events. Access to all the resources is free regardless of whether the young person takes part in the research survey. 

For more information about the project or to sign up, please go to https://hypekcl.com or you can contact us via email at hype@kcl.ac.uk.

You can follow us on Twitter: @hype_project and on Instagram: @hype_projectkcl
Evaluating the impact of online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for students
ETH1819-0224, approved by the Psychology Low Risk Review Committee, City, University of London

This study is recruiting students who are over the age of 18 years and studying at a UK university. The aim of this study is to explore the usefulness of an online self-help program for university students in the UK. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches mindfulness and acceptance skills, helping to clarify an individual’s values and using that knowledge to encourage value-based behaviour.

Participation in the study will take place over four weeks, over the course of which students will complete twelve online modules focusing on different skills, such as mindfulness and personal value identification. The efficacy of these modules will then be assessed.

For more information or to take part in this study, click here.
Contact Holly Conheady (principal researcher) at holly.conheady.1@city.ac.uk or Dr Jessica Jones Nielsen (research supervisor) at jones.Nielsen.1@city.ac.uk with any queries.
Investigating the relationship between mental health and sport
HR-18/19-8672, approved by KCL PNM Research Ethics Committee

The Department of Psychology at King's College London is seeking university students studying in the UK to participate in an online survey. The study will investigate the relationship between mental health and sport. Students who are or who are not involved in sport are both invited to participate. The survey can be completed online and takes approximately 20 minutes to fill in.

Participants can register for a prize draw to win Amazon vouchers, though all answers will be anonymous.

Follow this link to participate in the survey: https://kcliop.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5hfrRX4jHmdNCq9
For more information, please email the researcher, Dr James Findon: james.findon@kcl.ac.uk

Go to the Beat or NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) websites to find out more about National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

GLAD

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What is the GLAD Study?
The Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) Study launched this September and aims to recruit over 40,000 individuals. This is the world’s largest study of depression and anxiety and we hope to investigate the genetic, environmental and social risk factors for these disorders. Anyone aged 16 years or older who lives in England and has experienced anxiety or depression during their lifetime is encouraged to sign up. Participants will facilitate important future research by joining a recontactable database and the National Institute for Health Research Mental Health BioResource.
 
Why is it important?
Depression and anxiety are common but complex disorders and research into this requires a very large sample size. In the UK, more than a quarter of students report having a mental health problem, the most common of which are depression and anxiety. Psychological therapy, antidepressant and anti-anxiety drug treatments are more available than ever before, but only around half of those treated respond well. Through better understanding of mental health genetics, new and more effective treatment options can be developed, and healthcare professionals will be better equipped to predict which treatments work for specific types of patients. So far, over 40 genetic links for depression and anxiety have been identified and researchers know that 30-40% of depression and anxiety risk is genetic and 60-70% is environmental. However, current and previous mental health research has been limited by the access to volunteers with these disorders.
 
How can you help?
Taking part in the GLAD Study involves four simple steps. Firstly, you register online at www.gladstudy.org.uk and read the information sheet. Then you complete an online consent form, which is explained in more detail by an online animation. Following this you complete a 30-minute online eligibility questionnaire about your experiences of depression and/or anxiety to confirm you qualify to take part. Finally, if you meet the eligibility criteria you will be sent a saliva DNA kit in the post, along with a freepost envelope to send it back to us. You can get involved from the comfort of your own home!

For more information about the GLAD Study and how to take part, please go to www.gladstudy.org.uk or email gladstudy@kcl.ac.uk

 iCare PLUS study

PNM/14/15-130, approved by KCL Psychiatry, Nursing and Midwifery Research Ethics subcommittee. Students at any university in the UK can participate.

The Department of Psychological Medicine are seeking university students to participate in PLUS, an online study of personality, lifestyle and mental health. The study will look at whether an online programme designed to help students can improve wellbeing.
Taking part involves filling out online questionnaires and completing a series of online sessions. You’ll receive feedback on your questionnaire responses, allowing you to learn more about yourself and your strengths and weaknesses.

Each time you complete a set on online questionnaires, you’ll be entered into a raffle for an iPad.

Sign up here: https://www.icare-online.eu/en/Plus.html or contact madeleine.irish@kcl.ac.uk for more details.

Tracking Student Mental Health Across the Term

LRS-17/18-5301, approved by the KCL Psychiatry, Nursing and Midwifery Research Ethics subcommittee. Students at any university in the UK can participate.

This study is recruiting students who have been feeling low recently to take part in the control group for a study to evaluate the efficacy of peer support for student mental health. As a control group, we are not asking you to do anything in particular to participate in this study - to participate you need to complete an online survey now and will be invited to complete a second online survey in a few months. The data you provide will, as part of a wider study, help us understand the efficacy of peer support for student mental health. 

The questionnaire can be completed online and takes approximately 10 minutes to fill in. Participants can register for a prize draw to win Amazon vouchers. For more information please visit: www.tinyurl.com/StudentMH1
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For more information, please email the researcher - Dr Nicola Byrom (Nicola.byrom@kcl.ac.uk); Department of Psychology, IoPPN, 2.09 Addison House, Guy's Campus, Kings College London, SE1 1UL

Understanding what matters to students: Dimensions of Quality of Life

LRS-17/18-7273, approved by the PNM Research Ethics Committee at KCL and Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Ethics Committee at Northumbria University. Students at KCL or Northumbria university can participate.

The World Health Organization defines Quality of Life as “an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns.” But what does Quality of Life mean to you?  

We’d like to hear your thoughts and get your help developing a new measure to assess quality of life for students. We are running interviews (these may take up to 60 minutes) to discuss quality of life with students aged 18-25. Interviewees will be reimbursed for their time with a £10 Amazon shopping voucher. If you think you might be interested, find out more and sign up to take part here: https://tinyurl.com/QoLresearch

For more information, please email Dr Nicola Byrom (Nicola.byrom@kcl.ac.uk); Department of Psychology, IoPPN, 2.09 Addison House, Guy's Campus, Kings College London, SE1 1UL