Mental health awareness has been steadily increasing in recent years. Estimates of the extent and adverse impacts of mental health problems underline the urgent need for more research to better understand the causes and the consequences of mental ill health, and to identify the most effective interventions. Existing longitudinal and cohort studies provide unique opportunities to answer key questions related to population mental health and wellbeing. But what has been collected? By who? When? And, how?
As part of a CLOSER project, Prof Louise Arseneault and her team has developed the Catalogue of Mental Health Measures - a searchable, online catalogue documenting existing measures of mental health and wellbeing in UK cohort and longitudinal studies. The Catalogue of Mental Health Measures compiles and organises information about mental health measures in over 30 (and counting!) UK cohort and longitudinal studies. It features descriptions of the studies and the measures of mental health and wellbeing they have collected, as well as information about statistical resources and training. The Catalogue improves the visibility and accessibility of these measures, making it easier for researchers from across different disciplines to utilise the incredibly rich mental health data currently available in the UK’s longitudinal studies.
This new resource will be useful for researchers from across different disciplines and career stages. The Catalogue may be particularly useful for early career researchers utilising data that has already been collected and researchers less familiar with the mental health field – but it may also hold some surprises for experienced mental health researchers!
https://www.cataloguementalhealth.ac.uk/