YOUTHreach: Evaluating YEAH - A Walk-In Centre for Youth Mental Health
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effectiveness and public health impact of walk-in Youth mEntal heAltH support centres: a hybrid (cost-)effectiveness-implementation study in 7 European countries and Australia (YEAH)
IRAS ID
364014
Contact name
Sian Lowri Griffiths
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Maastricht University
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Mental health problems often start during adolescence and early adulthood. These difficulties cause a large health burden that has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many young people struggle to receive the right help, worsened by long waiting times, worries about privacy, and problems moving between child and adult services.
Youth mental health support centres (YEAH) have been developed in several countries to ensure young people receive the right help at the right time. These centres combine support for mental health, physical health, sexual health, drug and alcohol, and work or study problems in one place. They aim to offer fast, accessible, youth-friendly services, and early support to prevent problems worsening. Although findings from other countries are promising, research has not yet shown how well these centres work, how safe and cost-effective they are, or what features make them most successful.
This study will follow young people attending PAUSE Birmingham and compare their experiences and outcomes with those receiving normal care. It will be a cohort observation and controlled trial (without randomisation), using questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Each participant will take part for 12 months, completing assessments at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. The study will look at changes in mental health, wellbeing, daily functioning, service use, and satisfaction. The overall aim of this research study is to evaluate the effectiveness and public health impact of a walk-in centre for youth mental health.
The study will run from January 2026 to December 2029. The results will help improve youth mental health services and guide future national policy to make care more accessible, effective, and suitable for young people.
REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
25/WA/0360
Date of REC Opinion
23 Dec 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion