Researchers are asking for 10,000 parents to help them understand the best forms of support for children and young people’s mental health during the pandemic.

A survey for parents and carers of children aged 4-16 years seeks to gather insight into what protects children and young people’s mental health over time and at particular stress points, and how this varies according to child and family characteristics.

The aim is to identify what advice, support and help parents would find most useful, so that the most effective support can be given to the best effect.

The survey is led by Professor Cathy Creswell, Department of Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, which works closely with Oxford Health and its NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, run jointly by the trust and the university.

Prof Creswell, pictured, said: “We hope to have more than 10,000 parents and carers across the UK complete the new online survey. Their responses will help us really understand how families are coping and what support could make all the difference to children, young people and their families at this time.”

If you would like to know more about the study

The Guardian newspaper recently carried an article on the survey highlighting early findings from the first 1,500 people to respond, headlined: Fifth of primary children afraid to leave house over Covid-19, survey finds

NIHR Oxford Health BRC: New research seeks to tackle impact of COVID-19 on children and young people’s mental health

Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford: Co-Space Study: Supporting Parents, Adolescents and Children during Epidemics

Please take part in the survey itself, for parents/carers of children aged 4-16 years, here:

https://cospaceoxford.com/survey