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Child Protection and Family Justice

Nuffield Foundation 2004 seminars on children and families: Evidence and Implications

Wed, 31 March 2004

The Child Protection and Family Justice Committee is hosting a series of seminars over the course of this year to create 'committed awareness' among researchers, policy-makers and practitioners of some of the key findings of recently funded work, and the implications for policy and practice - and for further research.

The first of these seminars, on trends in adolescent mental health in Britain, took place at the Foundation on 20 April. Recent research funded by Nuffield and undertaken by Barbara Maughan et al. at the Institute of Psychiatry has shown that adolescent well-being may be on the decline in Britain, as behaviour problems, hyperactivity and emotional difficulties seem to have increased in this age group over the last 25 years. This does not to seem to be the case with other comparable countries, including the USA. The seminar was set up to address what might underpin this trend, and what might be done to tackle it.

The invitation-only seminar started with sessions presenting the research itself and the conceptual and methodological issues that arise. After full discussion of these, the second half of the day was used to address more speculative questions about the reasons for these trends, and what policies might be developed if they are to be halted or even reversed. Speakers and discussants included Professor Sir Michael Rutter, Trustee of the Foundation and an eminent child psychiatrist; Professor Lindsay Chase-Lansdale from the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University, USA; Dr Barbara Maughan, Dr Stephan Collishaw, and Professor Robert Goodman, authors of the report from the Institute of Psychiatry; Professor Jim Stevenson from Southampton University; Dr Leon Feinstein from the Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning, London University; and Dr Miranda Wolpert, NIMHE CAMHS Fellow, all from the UK. Representatives from central government departments and agencies joined voluntary organisations and researchers working in the field to discuss the results and their implications for policy and practice. A Briefing Paper prepared for the seminar and subsequently revised following our discussions will be published late summer and widely circulated.

Other seminars in the series will focus on issues in child assessment systems and parenting assessment (in the autumn). For further information about the series, contact Ann Hagell, Research Development Advisor

Last Updated Fri, 21 May 2004