Young people are taking part in an Oxford University project to create an online museum in a trial to improve mental health.
The £2.6 million research project is known as ORIGIN (Optimising cultural expeRIences for mental health in underrepresented younG people onlINe).
The programme is hosted by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, led by researchers from Oxford University and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Around 1,500 young people, aged 16 to 24, are taking part in the programme, which is aimed at reducing anxiety and depression.
£2.6m ORIGIN research project
The study involves some of the most underrepresented young people, including LGBTQ+ and autistic young people, ethnic minorities, young people living in the UK’s most deprived areas, and those on NHS waiting lists for mental health support.
The online cultural experience, which is called Ways of Being, was co-designed and tested for mental health in young people. It has been well received by young users, reducing negative feelings when compared to traditional museum websites.
Dr Rebecca Syed Sheriff, an NHS consultant psychiatrist and senior clinical researcher at Oxford University, is co-leading the programme with Oxford University’s Professor Kam Bhui.
She said: “Most mental health problems start before 25, yet young people are the least likely to receive mental health care, with some groups such as ethnic minorities even less likely.
Reducing anxiety and depression
“Much of the support currently offered by health services, such as medication and talking therapies are inaccessible and unacceptable to many of the young people who need it most.
“Online support can be more accessible and this exciting project gives us the chance to work with diverse young people on their own terms to co-design an intervention that young people are engaged by and believe in.
“This programme could have significant implications for how arts and culture are used to improve the mental health of young people in the future in a way that is engaging and accessible across diverse groups.”
Bhui said: “There is enormous potential for creative and digital methods to authentically capture young people’s experiences and co-design interventions to prevent poor mental health. There is a massive treatment gap which we hope to fill.”
