Dr. Margaret Lawler

Supporting youth mental health is a key national and international policy objective. Evidence indicates that how adolescents spend their leisure time including the type of physical, social or creative recreation activities they engage in can have important implications for their mental wellbeing. However, existing research in Ireland is limited, with little known about the type, frequency and number of leisure activities youth engage in or the comparative effect that different online/offline leisure activities have on youth mental health. Additionally, there is a lack of research examining how these patterns and relationships fluctuate across time, developmental stage, geographical region or socio-economic factors. This project aims to address these knowledge gaps through the secondary analysis of two large, datasets (Planet Youth and Growing up in Ireland). Specifically, the research aims to: 1. Identify and track patterns in adolescents' online and offline leisure practices concurrently, over time (2018-2026) and across adolescence (aged 9-18 years). 2. Determine whether youth's leisure participation varies across social and geographical profiles. 3. Examine the relationship between leisure activity patterns and adolescent mental health across key temporal (2018-2026) and developmental (9-18 years) periods. Through multilevel modelling and latent class/transition analyses and the support of a youth advisory group, this research will shed light on how adolescent mental health and leisure practices have changed over time, and generate key developmental insights on how leisure participation impacts mental health across adolescence. Findings will provide timely, policy-relevant evidence for youth services, community organisations, and local authorities that aim to enhance mental health outcomes through accessible, inclusive leisure supports.

The social and emotional needs of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) with cancer differ from those of children and older adults and are often not met by paediatric or adult services. Social prescribing (SP), a community-based service that connects people to various activities and supports in the community, has positive health benefits for adults with health difficulties. However, research is needed to determine if SP is suitable for AYA living with cancer. This research will therefore explore the acceptability of SP as a support mechanism for AYA with cancer. Findings could inform development of future services for AYA with cancer.

This project aims to develop a multinational questionnaire measuring climate related coping in young people. The Climate COPE will be translated into several European languages and data collected from young people (ages 15-25) in participating countries via an online survey. The study will also explore associations between coping strategies and outcomes related to well-being and engagement.

This project explored perspectives on social prescribing for children among 237 healthcare professionals' and 40 link workers' across Ireland and the UK.