Abstract
Objectives:
Children and young people (CYP) in Liverpool City Region live in one of the most deprived areas of England, where the prevalence of poor mental health, mental illness, and other social problems (e.g. educational underachievement, crime, unemployment) is higher than the national average. This paper explores the impacts of a place-based educational programme delivered by Everton in the Community (EitC) on the mental health and wellbeing of CYP, and how participants can be creatively engaged in the research.
Methods:
Based in North-West England, this ongoing PhD project involves participatory action research conducted with CYP aged 11-16-years-old. Focus groups and creative methods (e.g. drawings, worksheets, videos) were used, and the data generated was transcribed verbatim and subject to reflexive thematic analysis.
Findings and discussions
The initial findings demonstrate how the programme increased the confidence of CYP and improved their social relationships with others beyond their usual social circles, both of which are important for mental health. The creative methods used shed further light on the opportunities and challenges of engaging CYP in place-based education and mental health research.
Conclusion
The paper reflects on the use of a place-based educational programme to enhance the mental, social and educational outcomes of CYP in areas of high deprivation. It demonstrates also how the experiences of CYP can only be adequately understood in the context of their relations with others, social processes of power and control, and the wider inequalities which beset their lives.
Children and young people (CYP) in Liverpool City Region live in one of the most deprived areas of England, where the prevalence of poor mental health, mental illness, and other social problems (e.g. educational underachievement, crime, unemployment) is higher than the national average. This paper explores the impacts of a place-based educational programme delivered by Everton in the Community (EitC) on the mental health and wellbeing of CYP, and how participants can be creatively engaged in the research.
Methods:
Based in North-West England, this ongoing PhD project involves participatory action research conducted with CYP aged 11-16-years-old. Focus groups and creative methods (e.g. drawings, worksheets, videos) were used, and the data generated was transcribed verbatim and subject to reflexive thematic analysis.
Findings and discussions
The initial findings demonstrate how the programme increased the confidence of CYP and improved their social relationships with others beyond their usual social circles, both of which are important for mental health. The creative methods used shed further light on the opportunities and challenges of engaging CYP in place-based education and mental health research.
Conclusion
The paper reflects on the use of a place-based educational programme to enhance the mental, social and educational outcomes of CYP in areas of high deprivation. It demonstrates also how the experiences of CYP can only be adequately understood in the context of their relations with others, social processes of power and control, and the wider inequalities which beset their lives.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
