Supporting young Bradford Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Adolescence and transition into adulthood are high-risk periods for the onset of mental ill health. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded this risk, dramatically disrupting young people’s lives and intensifying existing social and health inequalities.

Emotional support is a vital asset for young people during transitional periods, acting as a buffer to protect their mental wellbeing. However, there is a lack of research exploring the complex factors influencing the level of emotional support that families are able to provide.

This project from the Bradford Institute for Health Research explores this issue by investigating the work-life balance of different families in Bradford, a demographically young, multi-ethnic, deprived city with high levels of need.

Building on the successful Born in Bradford, Age of Wonder and ActEarly research programmes – which follow the lives of young people growing up in Bradford – the project investigates how working patterns (including location, hours, shifts, pressures, responsibilities and unemployment) affect the level and quality of emotional support given to 12 to 15-year-olds.

Using an ‘appreciative inquiry’ approach focused on harnessing existing strengths, the research considers the impact of interacting contextual elements (such as culture, ethnicity, class, area and lasting COVID-19 impact) on the needs of a diverse range of families, from single-parent to multi-generational households.

Under the guidance of a community steering group, feedback from local workshops, in-depth family interviews and large-scale surveys of up to 30,000 young people will be used to co-produce actionable policy and practice recommendations on how best to alleviate inequalities and support young people and their families across Bradford.

Contact details

For more information, please contact Bridget Lockyer, Senior Research Fellow, ActEarly City Collaboratory, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.