Working with young people
How to include young people in research
When young people are empowered and engaged in collaborative research, initiatives are more relevant, effective, and translatable.
The PREMISE Youth Advisory Board have identified 10 principles for youth engagement in mental health and substance use research. These principles were developed by young people, in hopes to inspire and encourage meaningful collaboration in research.
Involve young people in a broad range of research and dissemination activities.
Support the leadership of people with lived experience, and their participation and collaboration in all stages of the research process, from priority setting to translation/ implementation.
Address barriers to participating in research and accessing programs for rural and remote communities.
Strive for equitable access to research and programs through inclusion of the voices and experiences of minority groups and hard to reach populations.
Enhance research through collaborative research networks and the creation of interdisciplinary teams.
Actively reduce mental health and substance use stigma through challenging stereotypes and countering them with evidence-based information and lived experience.
Seek to understand and address the social determinants of health by embracing a whole-of-life and whole-of-community approach to mental health and substance
Explore the impact of intergenerational trauma and the expectancy of life success between generations.
Advocate for sustainable, long-term, and diverse research and program funding models.
Collaborate with all levels of Government to influence policy to support the implementation of evidence-based prevention programs.
You can read about the principles in the "In It Together" Factsheet on how to include young people in research. You will also find some common misconceptions around youth research involvement, and some suggestions on how to respond to these.
Engaging with young people from regional, rural, and remote communities
Young people in regional, rural and remote areas experience unique challenges such as isolation, inequalities in education, and minimal support services to assist with mental health and substance use issues. So how can we respond to these challenges and better involve young people from these geographic areas in research?
The YAB have developed a video discussing the challenges for young people in regional, rural and remote communities and tips for involving them in research.
The social determinants of mental health
Listening to, consulting and co-designing research with community is critical in addressing the social determinants of mental health.
This video discusses the social determinants of mental health and how we can involve young people in research to address these.
The development of these resources was led by YAB members Mikaela Stennett (NT) and Cheryl Ou (QLD). The animations and graphics were designed by Matilda Centre Research Assistant, Sophia Spallek.