Does it really matter which type of therapy you choose? In this Mind the Kids episode, hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Prof. Umar Toseeb sit down with Professor Ian Goodyer from the University of Cambridge to unpack one of the most provocative findings in youth mental health research: different types of psychotherapy for adolescent depression work equally well—but not for the reasons we thought.

Drawing from the landmark IMPACT trial (the largest UK study of its kind with 465 participants), Professor Goodyer reveals surprising insights that challenge decades of therapeutic orthodoxy. Using cutting-edge network analysis, his team discovered that the key drivers of recovery aren't what therapists predicted—they're fatigue and insomnia, not the psychological symptoms clinicians typically focus on.

The Common Factors Debate: Why CBT, psychoanalytic therapy, and brief psychosocial intervention showed no significant differences in outcomes

The Speed of Recovery: Why most young people improved faster than any therapy manual predicted (often in just 6-12 sessions instead of 20-30)

Network Science Meets Mental Health: How symptoms influence each other over time—and why this changes everything about diagnosis and treatment

The Sleep Connection: Why addressing fatigue and insomnia might be more crucial than we realized for adolescent depression

The Role of Time: Why recovery continues for 12 months after therapy ends, with remarkably low relapse rates

This isn't just an academic debate. These findings have profound implications for:

Clinicians: Rethinking assessment priorities and treatment planning

Trainees: Understanding what really drives therapeutic change

Researchers: Opening new avenues for investigating mental health interventions

Policy makers: Allocating resources more effectively in child and adolescent mental health services

Perfect for: Clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, researchers, students, and anyone interested in what really works in mental health treatment—and why.

Madison Aitken, Sharon A.S. Neufeld, Clement Ma, IMPACT Consortium, Ian M. Goodyer

https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14175

Welcome to Mind the Kids, the podcast from the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.  Today’s episode takes us into the complex world of parenting programmes—the backbone of many early interventions for children with disruptive behaviour problems. This episode is entitles 'More Than Money: Nudging Parents, Breaking Barriers, Transforming Futures'.

Host Mark Tebbs speaks with Dr. Nathan Hodson, child and adolescent psychiatrist and researcher at the University of Warwick, whose work explores how financial incentives might help bring more parents into these transformative programmes. Drawing on behavioural economics and evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis, Nathan and Mark delve into one of the field’s most pressing challenges: engagement. 

As they discuss, the question isn’t whether parenting support works—the evidence is clear that it does—but how to ensure families facing the toughest circumstances can access and stay with it. Could small, well-targeted incentives help remove barriers such as transport, childcare, or lost work time? And what does it mean for equity, motivation, and policy design?

This episode is as much about compassion as it is about data. It’s a conversation that asks us to see every parent not as “hard to reach,” but as balancing complex lives where practical help can make all the difference. Whether you’re a policymaker, practitioner, or researcher, you’ll find insight here into how behavioural nudges and empathy might work hand in hand to build fairer, more effective systems of support.

Mind the Kids brings research to life—because improving children’s mental health starts with understanding the stories behind the studies.​

This episode relates to ACAMH's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Journal paper 'Review: Systematic review and meta-analysis – financial incentives increase engagement with parenting programs for disruptive behavior problems'

Nathan Hodson, Madiha Majid, Richard James, Eileen K. Graham, Daniel K. Mroczek, Rinad S. Beidas

What began on a cold November night with a simple cup of hot chocolate and some open ears grew into a vibrant, inclusive space where young people, often misunderstood by schools and society, found a place to be themselves.

In this episode of Mind the Kids, ‘Home fae Home: Hot Chocolate Helping Trauma’ we step into the heart of a community transformed by compassion, creativity, and co-design. 

Join host Mark Tebbs as he meets the passionate team on a remarkable project; Charis Robertson, Anne McKechnie, Gary Kennedy, and Lindsey McIntosh—experts from diverse backgrounds including community development, clinical psychology, architecture, and design.

Hear how the Hot Chocolate Trust in Dundee — a grassroots organisation that for over 25 years has offered refuge and belonging to young people often on the margins. 

Through a remarkable collaboration between youth workers, trauma-informed psychologists, architects, and designers, this episode explores an inspiring journey of transforming a historic church building into a sanctuary designed by the young people themselves. Using innovative and playful methods, the team engaged these youths in the co-creation process, listening deeply to their stories, needs, and visions to shape a space that truly feels like their own.

Hear the stories of small moments that sparked big change — from impromptu pancake parties to spray paint workshops — and discover how trauma-informed practice goes beyond therapy to embrace community, trust, and empowerment. This is about creating safe spaces that honour identity, choice, and belonging, where healing happens naturally through connection and creativity.

Whether you’re a youth worker, mental health professional, designer, or simply someone who believes in the power of community, this episode offers a deeply human perspective on how to listen, engage, and build environments that help young people not just survive, but thrive.

Read the paper in the CAMH journal 'Home Fae Home: A case study in co-designing trauma-informed community spaces with young people in Dundee, Scotland'

Picture a young person arriving at their first mental health appointment, weighed down not only by their difficulties but also by the puzzle of navigating referrals, assessments, and uncertainty. Beneath the clinical process is a story shaped by hope, resilience, and the powerful impact of relationships and evidence in shaping outcomes. From stories of children and families seeking answers to frontline professionals looking for better ways to help, this episode, ‘Diagnosis with Heart: The Promise and Challenges of SDA Tools’ journey’s beyond statistics—asking how new tools can foster partnership, streamline care, and preserve the personal moments that make a real difference.

Welcome to the Mind the Kids podcast series. In this episode host Mark Tebbs invites listeners to step into the world of assessment through both the lens of rigorous research and lived experience.

Mark is joined by Dr. Salah Basheer and Dr. Sue Fen Tan, whose review article in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health journal ‘The acceptability and effectiveness of standardised diagnostic assessment approaches in children and young people's mental health services – an updated systematic review’  asks: can SDAs provide clarity and fairness for families, protect against missed diagnoses, and support clinicians facing daunting demand and stretched resources? Mark and his guests reflect on what’s needed to turn hope into lasting change: robust research, authentic collaboration, and the courage to keep listening to every child’s story.

As Salah reflects, “We are not talking about these tools replacing clinical practice—we’re asking whether, used as an add-on, they can help clinicians provide the right care at the right time.” Sue Fen Tan, meanwhile, reminds us that, “A tool is only as good as its real-world application. If clinicians and families don’t find it user-friendly and meaningful, it won’t make a difference. Empathy and the human touch must remain at the heart of clinical care.”

Whether a clinician, policymaker, or someone passionate about mental health, listeners leave with new questions, practical insights, and the reminder that the path to better outcomes is built as much on compassion as on evidence. If the episode moves you, please share or review to help spread fresh perspectives in child and adolescent mental health.

Imagine a child stepping into their first classroom, carrying with them a world shaped by family stress, poverty, or developmental challenges. What happens next is more than a story of struggle—it’s a story of hope, resilience, and the powerful impact of everyday relationships.

Welcome to the Mind The Kids podcast series. Today’s episode, ‘Navigating Early Risk How Kindergarten Shapes Childhood Outcomes’, explores how early childhood risks such as poverty, family stress, and developmental delays influence children’s outcomes in school, and how positive experiences in kindergarten can protect children as they grow older.

Your host Mark Tebbs —a lifelong advocate for mental health and currently Chief Executive of a leading charity focused on community wellbeing. In this episode Mark is joined by Dr. Katharina Haag, senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, to discuss her recent paper published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JCPP), “Navigating Early Risk: Differential Outcomes in Middle Childhood and the Compensatory Role of Kindergarten Experiences”. https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jcpp.14158

As Dr. Haag explains: “We know that close relationships with teachers, and social play in kindergarten, were linked to better outcomes across the board, regardless of the child’s risk profile.” Mark and Katharina reflect on what Norway’s universal, high-quality kindergarten system means for other countries grappling with unequal access and persistent childhood inequalities. Mark asks the questions every parent and policymaker has wondered: Can early education truly level the playing field? What does it take to translate hope into lasting change? And, most importantly, what practical lessons can be applied wherever children grow up?

Whether a parent, teacher, or mental health professional, listeners leave with a sense of possibility—and a call to remember that small moments of support can change the trajectory of a child’s life. If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a review or share the episode to help spread evidence-based insights in child and adolescent mental health.

This episode of 'Mind the Kids - When Sleep & Anxiety Collide' is hosted by Mark Tebbs, who is joined by Liga Eihentale, an early career research scientist at Florida International University, whose work focuses on anxiety, memory, and sleep in peri-adolescence.

The conversation centres around Liga’s recent paper titled 'Anxiety severity in peri-adolescents is associated with greater generalization of negative memories following a period of sleep relative to wake" published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.70005).

The episode explores how sleep impacts emotional memory consolidation in anxious youth during this sensitive developmental period. Liga highlights key findings, explaining that “sleep plays an active role in shaping how young people perceive and generalize negative experiences, especially in those with higher anxiety.” She further notes, “higher anxiety severity in youth is associated with greater negative memory generalization after sleep, which could help us understand the mechanisms behind anxiety disorders.”

Listeners will gain valuable insights into the interplay between anxiety, sleep, and memory, and what these findings mean for potential intervention strategies targeting young people at risk of anxiety disorders. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with those interested in the future of mental health interventions.

Welcome to Mind The Kids, hosted by Mark Tebbs. In this episode, Mark sits down with Dr. Charlotte Viktorsson, a behavioural genetics researcher at Uppsala University, to explore the genetic and environmental influences on infant sleep and crying. Drawing on findings from a major study involving nearly 1,000 sets of Swedish twins, they discuss how much of a baby's crying is down to genetics and why sleep quality often depends on home routines and environment.

If you're a parent in the thick of sleepless nights or frequent tears, this episode offers both reassurance and fresh insight. Dr. Viktorsson explains why some babies simply cry more than others—even in the best of circumstances—and shares practical advice for supporting your child's wellbeing in those challenging early months. Tune in for an enlightening conversation that brings clarity and comfort to anyone caring for young children.

Based on the findings of ‘Genetic and environmental influences on sleep quality, ability to settle, and crying duration in 2- and 5-month-old infants: A longitudinal twin study’ Charlotte Viktorsson, Ashraf Yahia, Mark J. Taylor, Angelica Ronald, Kristiina Tammimies, Terje Falck-Ytter. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.70023

In this episode of Mind The Kids, host Mark Tebbs speaks with Dr. Lucy Tully and Dr. Simon Rice about the development and impact of "Family Man," an innovative, online, father-inclusive parenting program designed to reduce child conduct problems. Findings can be found in ACAMH’s  Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry – JCPP - ‘An online, father-inclusive parenting intervention for reducing child conduct problems: a randomised controlled trial of family man’ https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14068

Dr. Tully, a senior lecturer and clinical researcher, shares her passion for early intervention in child mental health and her commitment to making evidence-based parenting support accessible. She highlights a key gap in the field: most parenting programs are designed for and tested with mothers, leaving fathers underrepresented and under-engaged.

The conversation explores the barriers fathers face in accessing traditional parenting programs—such as cost, work commitments, lack of awareness, and persistent gender stereotypes—and how Family Man was purpose-built to address these issues. Developed in partnership with the Movember Institute, Family Man is a brief, self-directed, animated program that uses humor and relatable scenarios to engage fathers (and mothers) in learning effective strategies for managing children’s challenging behaviors.

A randomized controlled trial found that parents who completed Family Man reported significant improvements in their child’s conduct, parenting practices, and family wellbeing—benefits that were sustained over time and equally experienced by both mothers and fathers. The program’s online, accessible format and father-focused branding were key to its success.

Dr. Rice emphasizes the importance of policy changes to support father involvement, such as better paternity leave and organizational practices that actively engage dads. Both guests call for ongoing research, longer-term follow-up, and a cultural shift to make father engagement "core business" in child mental health.

Listeners are encouraged to try Family Man for free, regardless of whether they have concerns about their child’s behavior, and to share the resource widely. This episode is essential for parents, practitioners, and anyone interested in advancing inclusive, accessible, and effective support for families.

In this episode of Mind the Kids, ‘Rewilding Childhood: Why Nature Matters in Mental Health’ host Mark Tebbs sits down with Dr. Nicole Harris, educational psychologist and lead author of a major systematic review on nature connectedness in children and young people. Together, they explore why fostering a felt relationship with nature—beyond simply spending time outdoors—can be transformative for learning, behaviour, and wellbeing.

Dr. Harris explains that nature connectedness is about developing a meaningful, emotional bond with the natural world—a connection that supports not only cognitive skills like attention, but also social skills and self-regulation. Drawing on theories such as attention restoration, stress reduction, and the emerging polyvagal theory, the conversation unpacks how nature can help calm the nervous system, making children more ready to learn and engage.

The discussion highlights practical, low-cost ways schools and communities can nurture nature connectedness, from art projects and gardening to simply lying in the grass and noticing the world. Importantly, Dr. Harris emphasizes that these activities need not require wild landscapes; even small, local green spaces can make a difference.

The episode also addresses the real-world barriers schools face—curriculum pressures, time constraints, and inequitable access to green space—arguing for a systems approach and policy changes to ensure all children benefit. Dr. Harris notes that children in more deprived areas have less access to nature, making it even more vital to embed nature connectedness into the curriculum for equity and long-term planetary health.

Listeners will learn about the links between nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviours, the complex relationship with eco-anxiety, and the potential for nature-based activities to support children with special educational needs. The conversation ends with a call to see ourselves as part of nature, not separate from it, and to recognize that reconnecting with the natural world is essential for both personal and planetary wellbeing.

Based on the findings of ‘How can nature connectedness and behaviours for learning be deliberately developed in children, adolescents and young adults? A systematic literature review’ Nicole M. Harris, Brettany Hartwell, Louisa Thomas, Marcus Grace https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12774. 

This paper formed part of the CAMH journal Special Issue ‘Physical Environmental Influences on the Psychosocial Outcomes of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults’, edited by Keri Ka-Yee Wong, Efstathios Papachristou, Marta Francesconi, and Tycho J. Dekkers. https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14753588/2025/30/2

In this episode of Mind The Kids, host Mark Tebbs welcomes Professor Kapil Sayal from the University of Nottingham, to explore the landmark STADIA trial, which was published in ACAMH’s Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JCPP) https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14090. 

Together, they unravel how standardized diagnostic assessments, like the DAWBA, might shape the journey for children and young people referred to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).

Kapil shares his dual perspective as both a professor and an NHS consultant, explaining how the STADIA trial spanned eight NHS sites across England and deeply involved young people and parents with lived experience. The heart of their conversation is the real-world impact of using structured assessment tools in mental health referrals—do they improve diagnosis, access, or outcomes?

Listeners will learn how tools like DAWBA could transform clinical decision-making, listen to find what the study found. Families appreciated the validation and feedback these assessments provided, often using their reports to communicate with schools and GPs. The episode highlights the ongoing challenges in CAMHS—rising demand, long waits, and the need for earlier, more effective support.

Mark and Kapil reflect on how research like STADIA can inform future policy, service design, and digital innovation, emphasizing the importance of listening to lived experience. The episode closes with a call for continued research and collaboration to ensure every young person gets the support they need, when they need it.

Perfect for parents, clinicians, and anyone interested in the future of youth mental health care.