Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

We study the development, prediction and prevention of mental illness in children and adolescents

The University of Edinburgh is a world-leading centre for interdisciplinary research on the development of mental illness in children and adolescents. The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry research group has a particular focus on the prediction and prevention of serious mental illness.

We use a range of interdisciplinary methodologies, including large-scale epidemiological studies, statistical prediction modelling, neuroimaging, causal inference analyses, and qualitative research. We also run studies with NHS partners in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

The ultimate goal of this research is to improve early identification of risk for major mental illness, to reduce duration of untreated illness, and to identify effective early and preventive interventions.

Example projects

Project title Funder Investigator(s)

Identifying Children At Risk of Serious mental illness (ICARiS)

Health Research Board

Ian Kelleher

Youth-GEMS

Horizon Europe Ian Kelleher

Long-term outcomes of adolescents who present to hospital with self-harm

St John of God Research Foundation Ian Kelleher
Loneliness in the digital world: Co-developing smartphone-based research to examine how online social experiences impact adolescent mental health. UKRI/MRC Liana Romaniuk

Mental health trajectories following pharmacological and psychological treatment.

Wellcome Liana Romaniuk