About the research
Full project title: Maximising the take-up of mental health measures from UK cohorts and longitudinal studies
This project aimed to improve the awareness and understanding of mental health and wellbeing by organising, generating and sharing information about current mental health and wellbeing measures. This project is the first to comprehensively document measures of mental health and wellbeing within the UK’s longitudinal studies.
The team carried out a mapping exercise to identify and document existing measures of mental health and wellbeing within the studies, and then shared this information publicly through an online platform. It also promoted the use of the studies’ mental health measures to researchers through a workshop and activity sessions.
The richness of measures collected by longitudinal studies offers unique opportunities to answer key research questions about mental health and wellbeing.
Professor Alison Park
Professor Louise Arseneault
Research leads
Professor Louise Arseneault (King’s College London; ESRC Mental Health Leadership Fellow) and Professor Alison Park (CLOSER, UCL)
Studies will include
- 1946 MRC National Survey of Health and Development
- 1958 National Child Development Study
- 1970 British Cohort Study
- Millennium Cohort Study
- Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
- Hertfordshire Cohort Study
- Southampton Women’s Survey
- Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Survey
- The Twins Early Development Study (TEDS)
- Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development
(Plus other UK cohorts and longitudinal studies that will be surveyed)
Research outputs
- Catalogue of Mental Health Measures – an online platform containing documentation about existing mental health and wellbeing measures in the study data;
- Survey of mental health and wellbeing measures in UK cohorts and longitudinal studies;
Workshops
- Engagement activities, including workshops and drop in sessions, to share the richness and value of mental health measures in the studies;
- Catalogue of Mental Health Measures launch event featuring talks from Prof Rebecca Hardy, Prof Louise Arseneault, Bridget Bryan, Prof George Ploubidis, and Prof Barbara Maughan)
CLOSER Webinar
Download the presentation slides [PDF]
- Event information: The Catalogue of Mental Health Measures: Discovering the depths of mental health data in UK longitudinal studies
CLOSER Seminar
- Presentation: Maximising the take up of mental health measures from British longitudinal studies – Bridget Bryan
Read about other CLOSER data harmonisation projects.