09/09/24
The paper reflects the SIPS values of openness, transparency, inclusivity, and critical evaluation
A 2023 paper led by the CAMHS Digital Lab has received a Commendation award from the Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science (SIPS). These commendations recognise work which reflects the SIPS values of openness, transparency, inclusivity, and critical evaluation, including types of work which do not always receive formal recognition from other professional bodies and societies.
The paper, published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, was led by the Lab’s Academic Lead Dr. Alice Wickersham as part of her PhD. It showed the association between child and adolescent depression and declining school performance, and was praised by a commentary piece written in response to the article. The authors pioneered a novel approach to using the expertise of children and young people in research, consulting with the Young Person's Mental Health Advisory Group at the National Institute for Health and Care Research Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre to guide the statistical modelling process. This demonstrated that, with the right type of engagement, children and young people can be involved in making complex analytical decisions in research.
Alice commented: “We’re delighted to receive this SIPS Commendation, which celebrates aspects of the research process which are not always formally recognised. Involving the public in making key decisions about how we conduct our statistical analyses can be daunting, but through this award I hope to highlight that quantitative researchers should not shy away from it. This project would not have been the same without the children and young people who guided our analysis.”
Alice has since advocated for the importance of public involvement in research at policy-facing events, for instance with the Department for Education. With this commendation, she hopes to further advocate for meaningfully embedding public involvement into statistical analyses. Public engagement is a challenging but rewarding aspect of doing research, and we hope to apply more novel methods of engaging young people in our work in the coming years.