UEA and NHS project to look at Covid's effect on mental health

The University of East Anglia said it wanted to focus on improving young people's mental health

A new collaboration between an NHS mental health trust and a university will look at how young people have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The University of East Anglia (UEA) has funded the project run by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

A report earlier this year found young people needing mental health support in the region were not seen quick enough.

Dr Jon Wilson, from the trust, said "there has been a rise in inpatient admissions and service demand".

He said the number of referrals to young people's mental health teams in Norfolk and Suffolk had doubled since December 2020.

Last week, figures gathered by BBC Radio Norfolk found almost 600 under-18s in the county were waiting to receive help with their mental health.

In the nine-month project, researchers will work with about 250 young people with pre-existing mental health needs.

It is hoped the project will feed back changes to local mental healthcare providers.

'Committed to research'

Dr Wilson said: "Many young people face income and job insecurity, educational and training disruption, food insecurity, poor housing and environmental quality, neighbourhood safety, social exclusion and discrimination."

He said during the pandemic young people "experienced increased anxieties relating to their mental health care delivery" and had issues due to social isolation and loneliness.

"But at present, mental health organisations and policymakers do not know what specific needs young people will have during the post Covid-19 recovery period," Dr Wilson added.

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It is one of four schemes receiving a share of £100,000, with others looking at 3D printing surgical equipment, behaviour change in socially deprived communities and improved care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Prof Charles ffrench-Constant, from the UEA, said the university "particularly wanted to focus on improving young people's mental health, healthy ageing and living with long-term conditions".

"These areas were identified as key issues for people in Norfolk, Suffolk and North East Essex and we are committed to investing in research in these areas as a strategic priority," he said.

In 2019, the UEA invested more money in its student support services after four students died in a year.

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