ATTUNE project: Impact of ACEs on young people
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding mechanisms and mental health impacts of adverse childhood experiences to co-design preventive arts and digital interventions (ATTUNE) project
IRAS ID
312815
Contact name
Kamaldeep Bhui
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Research Governance, Ethics and Assurance /
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 2 months, 2 days
Research summary
The ATTUNE project investigates how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) unfold to affect adolescents' mental health and coproduces novel prevention approaches. ACEs refer to harsh, unsafe, abusive and/ distressing events or living conditions during childhood. Three in four adolescents exposed to multiple ACEs develop significant distress and mental health disorders as young adults, including anxiety and depression. We do not know what makes an adolescent vulnerable to or protected from mental health problems facing ACEs nor how best to protect and support affected young people. This project will include six work packages that explore the lived experience of young people exposed to ACEs, how they define and explain their mental health and co-design new resources to support young people. Young people will be engaged via creative arts, and writing, performance, film, music and state of the art games technology and examine if these help young people express and share their experiences. This will enable care approached to be identified for ACE related mental health problems that are considered useful and acceptable. WP1 will identify care approaches for ACE-related mental health problems through creative methods with young people. WP2 will extend our understanding of ACEs and mental health via analysis of existing large datasets. WP3 co-produces public mental health resources to support adolescent mental health following ACEs. WP4 involves young people in co-design of a digital game exploring ACEs. WP4 examines if the new approach is feasible, acceptable and helpful to young people of diverse identities and to clinicians. WP5 will deliver preliminary cost-effectiveness information on distinct approaches. WP6 runs across the project to share learning with young people, clinicians, communities, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders. This application focuses on WP1, 3 and 4 which involve collection of new data with young people and stakeholders.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/WM/0105
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion